Chinese Journal of Catalysis ›› 2018, Vol. 39 ›› Issue (5): 893-898.DOI: 10.1016/S1872-2067(18)63047-5

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Single-atom catalysis:Bridging the homo-and heterogeneous catalysis

Fang Chena, Xunzhu Jianga,b, Leilei Zhanga, Rui Langa, Botao Qiaoa   

  1. a State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, Liaoning, China;
    b School of Chemistry, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, Liaoning, China
  • Received:2017-12-23 Revised:2018-02-02 Online:2018-05-18 Published:2018-04-19
  • Contact: 10.1016/S1872-2067(18)63047-5
  • Supported by:

    This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (21606222, 21776270), and Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2017M621170, 2016M601350).

Abstract:

Single-atom catalysis, the catalysis by single-atom catalysts (SACs), has attracted considerable attention in recent years as a new frontier in the heterogeneous catalysis field. SACs have the advantages of both homogeneous catalysts (isolated active sites) and heterogeneous catalysts (stable and easy to separate), and are thus predicted to be able to bridge the homo-and heterogeneous catalysis. This prediction was first experimentally demonstrated in 2016. In this mini-review, we summarize the few homogeneous catalysis progresses reported recently where SACs have exhibited promising application:a) Rh/ZnO and Rh/CoO SAC have been used successfully in hydroformylation of olefin of which the activity are comparable to the homogeneous Wilkinson's catalyst; b) a Pt/Al2O3SAC has shown excellent performance in hydrosilylation reaction; and c) M-N-C SACs (M=Fe, Co etc.) have been applied in the activation of C-H bonds. All of these examples suggest that fabrication of suitable SACs could provide a new avenue for the heterogenization of homogeneous catalysts. These pioneering works shed new light on the recognition of single-atom catalysis in bridging the homo-and heterogeneous catalysis.

Key words: Single-atom catalysis, Heterogenization of homogeneous catalysts, Hydroformation, Hydrosilylation, Activation of C-H bonds