Research progress on single atom and particle synergistic catalysts for electrocatalytic reactions

Abstract

Energy is the driving force for economic and social development and is crucial for human survival. The catalytic reaction is a key part of energy production, so it is urgent to obtain catalysts with high activity, selectivity, and stability. The emergence of single-atom catalysts (SACs) brings a novel and effectual development direction to the catalysis industry, but there are still some deficiencies in SACs due to high surface energy and low metal loading. Before SACs, particle catalysts were widely studied, taking into account the complexity of the catalytic process, and the synergistic effect between SACs and particles to enhance the electrocatalytic performance has become a popular research strategy. The energy-level regulation brought about by the optimized structural configuration is shown to improve the charge transfer and separation behavior. To date, various types of single-atom and particle catalysts (SA/PCs) have been developed, and the understanding of the interaction between the two is pushed to a higher level. Nevertheless, there are few reports on the systematic introduction of this synergy. In this review, the structure classification and mechanism of SA/PCs are summarized, and the research progress on synergistic catalysts in electrocatalytic reactions is introduced. In addition, challenges and opportunities for such catalysts are discussed.