催化学报 ›› 2026, Vol. 88: 86-128.DOI: 10.1016/S1872-2067(26)65135-2

• 综述 • 上一篇    下一篇

二维(2D)材料上的单原子催化剂用于光催化CO2还原: 基础、设计与新兴策略

Sathi Chatterjeea, 李红梅a, 刘康a, 林璋b, 柴立元b, 刘敏a,b,*()   

  1. a 中南大学物理学院, 湖南二氧化碳资源化利用联合国际研究中心, 湖南长沙 410083
    b 中南大学冶金与环境学院, 湖南长沙 410083
  • 收稿日期:2025-12-22 接受日期:2026-02-28 出版日期:2026-09-18 发布日期:2026-09-05
  • 通讯作者: *电子信箱: minliu@csu.edu.cn (刘敏).
  • 基金资助:
    国家重点研发计划(2024YFC3712104);国家科技重大专项(2025ZD1204304);国家自然科学基金创新研究群体项目(52121004);国家自然科学基金(G22376222);国家自然科学基金(22403108);湖南省科技重大专项(2023RC1012);湖南省自然科学基金(2024JJ6484);中南大学前沿交叉学科研究计划(2023QYJC012)

Single-atom catalysts on two-dimensional (2D) materials for photocatalytic CO2 reduction: Fundamentals, design, and emerging strategies

Sathi Chatterjeea, Hongmei Lia, Kang Liua, Zhang Linb, Liyuan Chaib, Min Liua,b,*()   

  1. a Hunan Joint International Research Center for Carbon Dioxide Resource Utilization, School of Physics, Central South University, Changsha 410083, Hunan, China
    b School of Metallurgy and Environment, Central South University, Changsha 410083, Hunan, China
  • Received:2025-12-22 Accepted:2026-02-28 Online:2026-09-18 Published:2026-09-05
  • About author:Min Liu (Central South University) received his PhD (2010) degree from the Institute of Electrical Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences. In 2010-2015, he worked in University of Tokyo as a postdoctoral fellow with the guidance of Prof. Kazuhito Hashimoto and Prof. Kazunari Domen. In 2015-2017, he joined the University of Toronto as a postdoctoral fellow under the guidance of Prof. Edward Sargent. Since 2017, he is a professor in Central South University. His research interests focus on greenhouse gas reduction and energy catalysis, including the resource utilization of perfluorocarbon, electrocatalytic CO2 reduction, and photo(electro)chemical water splitting. He got a number of over 300 publications on Nature, Nat Catal, Nat Commun, Joule, J. Am. Chem. Soc., Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., Adv. Mater. Nano Lett., et al, with citations of over 40000 and H-factor of 101. The research results have been highlighted by Science Daily, Science news, Phys.org, Forbes and other media. Based on these researches, he was awarded as a highly cited researcher by Clarivate Analytics from 2020 to 2024.
  • Supported by:
    The National Key R&D Program of China(2024YFC3712104);The National Science and Technology Major Project of China(2025ZD1204304);The Foundation for Innovative Research Groups of the National Natural Science Foundation of China(52121004);The National Natural Science Foundation of China(G22376222);The National Natural Science Foundation of China(22403108);The Science and Technology Innovation Program of Hunan Province(2023RC1012);The Natural Science Foundation of Hunan Province(2024JJ6484);The Central South University Research Programme of Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies(2023QYJC012)

摘要:

随着大气中CO2浓度的持续升高以及太阳燃料转化需求的不断增强, 利用太阳能驱动CO2高效转化为燃料和高附加值化学品已成为能源与环境领域的重要研究方向. 然而, CO2分子具有高度稳定的线性结构和较大的活化能垒, 其多电子/质子耦合还原过程复杂, 并易受到析氢反应(HER)的竞争影响, 导致传统光催化体系在活性、选择性和稳定性方面面临显著挑战. 单原子催化剂(SACs)因具备原子级分散活性中心与可调控配位环境, 在提高金属利用效率和调控反应路径方面展现出独特优势. 将单原子锚定于二维(2D)材料表面, 可结合二维载体的平面限域效应、缺陷结构调控能力及高效电荷传输通道, 为构建高性能光催化CO2还原体系提供新的理论基础与材料设计思路.
本文系统综述了二维材料负载单原子催化剂(SAC/2D)在光催化CO2还原中的研究进展与设计框架. 首先, 从CO2活化的热力学与动力学基础出发, 分析不同还原产物所需的电位条件与能带匹配关系, 阐述多电子/质子耦合转移机制、自由基中间体形成路径及析氢反应竞争行为, 明确反应能垒与中间体稳定化在决定反应路径和产物分布中的关键作用. 随后, 总结单原子位点在二维载体上的构筑策略, 包括湿化学法、热解法、原子层沉积及限域调控等方法, 并讨论不同制备路径对单原子配位环境、锚定稳定性及活性位点暴露程度的影响. 在结构表征方面, 综述原子尺度直接成像、配位与价态分析、振动光谱表征及时间分辨载流子动力学测试等先进技术, 结合密度泛函理论计算, 建立单原子局域结构、电子结构调控与光催化性能之间的关联机制. 通过对碳基二维材料、金属氧化物二维材料及新兴二维载体体系的性能趋势进行比较分析, 揭示平面限域效应、载体极性调控、界面耦合强度及电荷传输行为在协同调控催化活性、C1与C2+产物选择性以及长期稳定性方面的重要作用. 在此基础上, 构建统一的SAC/2D光催化设计框架, 将原子配位环境、二维载体效应与界面电荷流调控整合为系统性设计原则, 并提出三类关键工程策略: 异核双原子位点构筑、异质结构界面设计以及内建电场与极化调控机制, 用以缓解单原子稳定性不足、多碳产物选择性偏低及载流子快速复合等问题, 同时为实现可重复高负载合成与器件化构型应用提供理论指导.
总体而言, 本综述构建了贯通基础机理、二维材料效应、性能规律与工程策略的系统框架, 明确SAC/2D体系在光催化CO₂还原中的优势与挑战. 未来研究需加强原位机理解析、提高C2+产物选择性与长期稳定性, 并推动薄膜化与流动反应器等器件化发展, 以促进高效、稳定且可规模化的光催化CO2资源化利用体系的实现.

关键词: 光催化二氧化碳还原, 单原子催化剂, 二维材料, 太阳燃料生成, C2+选择性

Abstract:

The rapid increase of the concentration of atmospheric CO2 and the imperative for solar-fuel generation highlight the urgent need for advanced catalytic materials. Single-atom catalysts (SACs) anchored on two-dimensional (2D) materials present a powerful approach by combining atomically isolated active sites with tunable coordination environments, defect chemistry, and enhanced charge-transport pathways intrinsic to 2D supports. This review explores SAC/2D systems for photocatalytic CO2 reduction, beginning with the fundamental thermodynamics and kinetics of CO2 activation, multielectron proton-coupled transfer, hydrogen-evolution competition and C1 vs. C2+ product selectivity. Then, it covers synthesis strategies for anchoring atomically dispersed metal sites on 2D supports, and discusses advanced characterization techniques‒including atomic-scale imaging, operando coordination spectroscopy and time-resolved carrier-dynamics measurements; that link structure and photocatalytic function. Photocatalytic performance trends across carbon-based, metal-oxide and emerging 2D supports are analysed to illustrate how planar confinement, support polarity, interfacial coupling, and charge-carrier behaviour regulate activity, selectivity, and stability. Further, a unified design framework is established, and three framework-guided design strategies i.e., heteronuclear dual-atom sites, heterostructure interfaces and internal-field/polarization engineering, are highlighted as promising strategy to overcome several intrinsic and scale-up challenges i.e., single atom instability, low multicarbon (C2+) selectivity and rapid recombination. Finally, by aligning mechanistic insight with material design and pointing toward reproducible high-loading synthesis and device-oriented configurations (e.g., thin-films, flow-reactors), the review outlines a pathway toward selective, stable and scalable SAC/2D photocatalyst systems for solar-driven CO2 reduction.

Key words: Photocatalytic CO2 reduction, single-atom catalysts, 2D materials, Solar fuel generation, C2+ selectivity