Thermally Stable Single‐Atom Heterogeneous Catalysts

Single‐atom catalysts (SACs) have attracted extensive attention in fields related to energy, environment, and material sciences because of the high atom efficiency and the unique properties of these materials. Many approaches have hitherto been successfully established to prepare SACs, including impregnation, pyrolysis‐involved processes, atom trapping, and coprecipitation. However, under typical reaction conditions, single atoms on catalysts tend to migrate or agglomerate, forming nanoclusters or nanoparticles, which lowers their surface free energy. Efforts are required to develop strategies for improving the thermal stability of SACs while achieving excellent catalytic performance. In this Progress Report, recent advances in the development of thermally durable single‐atom heterogeneous catalysts are discussed. Several important preparation approaches for thermally stable SACs are described in this article. Fundamental understanding of the coordination structures of thermally stable single atom prepared by these methods is discussed. Furthermore, the catalytic performances of these thermally stable SACs are reviewed, including their activity and stability. Finally, a perspective of this important and rapidly evolving research field is provided. Single‐atom heterogeneous catalysts have attracted extensive interest recently, especially for material synthesis and catalytic performance. Their thermal stability under reaction conditions is closely related to the application of these materials in industry in the future. Recent progress in developing thermally stable single‐atom catalysts, including preparation strategies, coordination structure of single atoms, and catalytic performance, is summarized.