The 15th Anniversary of Nanomaterials: Single-Atom Catalysts in Electrocatalytic and Photocatalytic Processes
A special issue of Nanomaterials (ISSN 2079-4991). This special issue belongs to the section "Energy and Catalysis".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 34
Special Issue Editors
Interests: environmental catalysis; photocatalysis; CO2 conversion; vehicle exhaust gas purification
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: chemistry; photocatalysts; cyanogen; graphitic carbon nitride; carbon dioxide; electrocatalysts; chemical reduction
Interests: photo-response nanomaterials for energy and the environment; carbon dots and their applications
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Single-atom catalysts (SACs) are characterized by isolated metal atoms anchored on supports (e.g., carbon matrices, metal–organic frameworks, or metal oxides) via strong metal–support interactions (SMSIs), such as covalent bonding, coordination effects, or electronic coupling. Compared to conventional nanoparticle-based catalysts, SACs achieve atomic-level dispersion of metal species, thereby maximizing the exposure of catalytic active sites. Their unique architecture ensures near-100% atomic utilization efficiency and enables precise modulation of coordination environments (e.g., ligand type, coordination number adjustment) and electronic states (e.g., d-band center, oxidation state adjustment), which are critical for enhancing activity and selectivity in electrocatalysis (e.g., O2/H2 evolution reactions, CO2 reduction) and photocatalysis (e.g., water splitting, pollutant degradation). For instance, SACs optimize metal–support interactions to accelerate reaction kinetics in electrocatalysis, while their single-atom properties promote charge separation and reduce activation barriers in photocatalytic processes.
Recent advancements in controlled synthesis, atomic-scale characterization, and theoretical modeling have deepened our understanding of the structure–performance relationships in SACs, further expanding their potential applications in energy conversion and environmental catalysis. This Special Issue seeks to showcase cutting-edge research in SACs, spanning from innovative synthetic strategies and mechanistic insights to their integration into practical catalytic systems. We invite researchers from around the world to contribute high-quality original research and review articles to advance this rapidly evolving field.
Prof. Dr. Yuechang Wei
Prof. Dr. Tierui Zhang
Prof. Dr. Zaicheng Sun
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- single-atom catalysts (SACs)
- atomic-level dispersion
- electrocatalytic applications
- photocatalytic mechanisms
- active site engineering
- energy conversion and storage
- electronic structure calculations
- synergistic catalytic effects
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