Jia Chen, Sun Qian, Liu Ruirui, Mao Guangzhao, Maschmeyer Thomas, Gooding J Justin, Zhang Tao, Dai Liming, Zhao Chuan
School of Chemistry, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, 2052, Australia.
School of Chemical Engineering, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, 2052, Australia.
Adv Mater. 2024 Oct;36(42):e2404659. doi: 10.1002/adma.202404659. Epub 2024 Jun 27.
Single-atom electrocatalysts (SACs) are a class of promising materials for driving electrochemical energy conversion reactions due to their intrinsic advantages, including maximum metal utilization, well-defined active structures, and strong interface effects. However, SACs have not reached full commercialization for broad industrial applications. This review summarizes recent research achievements in the design of SACs for crucial electrocatalytic reactions on their active sites, coordination, and substrates, as well as the synthesis methods. The key challenges facing SACs in activity, selectivity, stability, and scalability, are highlighted. Furthermore, it is pointed out the new strategies to address these challenges including increasing intrinsic activity of metal sites, enhancing the utilization of metal sites, improving the stability, optimizing the local environment, developing new fabrication techniques, leveraging insights from theoretical studies, and expanding potential applications. Finally, the views are offered on the future direction of single-atom electrocatalysis toward commercialization.
单原子电催化剂（SACs）由于其固有的优势，包括最大的金属利用率、明确的活性结构和强大的界面效应，是一类用于驱动电化学能量转换反应的有前途的材料。然而，SACs尚未实现广泛工业应用的全面商业化。本综述总结了SACs在活性位点、配位和基底上关键电催化反应的设计以及合成方法方面的最新研究成果。强调了SACs在活性、选择性、稳定性和可扩展性方面面临的关键挑战。此外，还指出了应对这些挑战的新策略，包括提高金属位点的固有活性、提高金属位点的利用率、提高稳定性、优化局部环境、开发新的制备技术、利用理论研究的见解以及拓展潜在应用。最后，对单原子电催化商业化的未来方向提出了看法。
