Themed collection Single atom catalysis

Guest Editors Sharon Mitchell, Sir John Meurig Thomas and Javier Pérez-Ramírez introduce the Catalysis Science & Technology themed issue on single atom catalysis.

Catalysts consisting of metal atoms that are atomically dispersed on supports are gaining wide attention because of the rapidly developing understanding of their structures and functions and the discovery of new, stable catalysts with new properties.

Strong metal–support interactions are key requirements for development of stable single-atom catalysts with pronounced catalytic activity.

Nanomaterials coated with atomically dispersed platinum on ceria are structurally dynamic and show high potential for applications in fuel cells.

Genuine, single-atom catalysis can be realized in the gas phase and probed by mass spectrometry combined with computational chemistry.

Silica supported and unsupported PdAu single atom alloys (SAAs) were investigated for the selective hydrogenation of 1-hexyne to hexenes under mild conditions.

The nature of SAHC interactions with the matrix is crucial as it controls the electronic structure of the atom, its charge, the coordination pattern and the overall catalytic ensemble. We have checked all these aspects by studying the same single atom in oxides, metals and carbon nitride.

A single Ni atom substituted on a ZnO surface is a promising catalyst for the water gas shift reaction.