).It now seems clear that supported metal adatoms can be effective catalysts for some reactions, but how to make best use of this phenomenon remains an open question. Most studies to date have focussed on synthesizing stable "single-atom" variants of functioning supported nanoparticle systems, but there is mounting evidence that the properties of supported adatoms do not scale from those of larger nanoparticles in a simple way. The sensitivity of the adsorption properties to the charge state and coordination environment of the adatom has led researchers to dream that single atom catalysis (SAC) can bridge the gap between heterogeneous and homogeneous catalysis, opening the door to a new generation of highly-selective catalysts for difficult reactions. To make this dream a reality, a fundamental understanding of how the structure of the active site affects the adsorption properties of adatoms is essential. Since the active site geometry cannot be unambiguously determined from realistic SAC systems at present, experiments on precisely-defined model systems must work hand-in-hand with theory to provide a fundamental basis for this rapidly growing field.
Corresponding author: Gareth S. Parkinson (parkinson).
You can download a PDF file of this open-access article from Catalysis Letters or from the IAP/TU Wien web server.