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Can a Single Atom Serve as the Active Site in Some Heterogeneous Catalysts?

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Abstract

We examine a number of distinct situations relating to heterogeneous catalysts where either a single atom (or ion), or a very small cluster of atoms functions as the locus of chemical turnover in various distinct kinds of conversion. There is little doubt that individual ions at certain crystallographic sites in nanoporous solids can indeed act as single-site catalysts. The situation concerning nanoclusters of pure metal (or bimetallic entities) is rather more ambiguous. What was hitherto thought to be an effective catalyst made up of a small cluster of Pt supported on γ-Al2O3 (for hydrogenation) now seems to be a single atom of Pt attached to a 5-coordinated AlIII ion. And in the case of Au or Pt on other supports, there is evidence that a single Pt atom, positively charged, but surrounded by alkali-metal ions, is a powerful catalyst for the water–gas shift (CO + H2O → H2 + CO2) reaction. We also report interesting results concerning the mobility of CeO2 support material.

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Acknowledgments

ZS thanks the European Union for the financial support under the Framework 6 program for an Integrated Infrastructure Initiative. Ref.: 026019 ESTEEM. JMT thanks Drs M. Flytzani-Stephanopoulos and M. Mavrikakis for their kindness in letting us use Fig. 9. PLG thanks the University of York, Yorkshire Forward and JEOL for the Nanocentre support including the AC TEM/STEM.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, University of Cambridge, Pembroke Street, Cambridge, CB2 3QZ, UK

    John Meurig Thomas & Zineb Saghi

  2. York JEOL Nanocentre, Helix House, University of York, Heslington, York, YO10 5DD, UK

    Pratibha L. Gai

Authors
  1. John Meurig Thomas
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  2. Zineb Saghi
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  3. Pratibha L. Gai
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Correspondence to John Meurig Thomas.

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Dedicated to Professor R. K. Grasselli on the occasion of his 80th birthday.

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Thomas, J.M., Saghi, Z. & Gai, P.L. Can a Single Atom Serve as the Active Site in Some Heterogeneous Catalysts?. Top Catal 54, 588–594 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11244-011-9677-y

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