Single-Atom and Nanoparticle Catalysis for Selective Hydrogenation and Hydroformylation
This research community develops heterogeneous catalysts—specifically single-atom sites, small clusters, and nanoparticles—to achieve high selectivity in hydrogenation and hydroformylation reactions. The work focuses on controlling the interaction between metal active sites and their supports to optimize activity and stability for industrial chemical synthesis.
The recurring materials include palladium, platinum, rhodium, and nickel, often dispersed as single atoms or nanoparticles on oxide supports like cerium dioxide, titanium dioxide, or zeolites. Key methods involve engineering metal-support interactions, tuning electronic structures, and utilizing ionic liquids or covalent organic frameworks to stabilize active sites. The primary applications are the chemoselective hydrogenation of nitroarenes, acetylene, and cinnamaldehyde, as well as the hydroformylation of alkenes. Recent work also addresses the water-gas shift reaction and CO oxidation, emphasizing the role of oxygen vacancies and hydrogen spillover in catalytic efficiency.
The largest share of the community's output is found in rhodium research, accounting for 8.9% of all rhodium research, and 2,727 papers here. Palladium research follows with a 3.1% share and 2,757 papers, while platinum contributes a 2.0% share with 2,606 papers.
The community comprises 19,958 papers, published most frequently in the Journal of Catalysis, Journal of the American Chemical Society, and ACS Catalysis.
Recent papers continue to focus on stabilizing single-atom sites for low-temperature CO oxidation, engineering metal-support interactions for fine-tuning catalysis, and developing durable electrocatalysts for nitroaromatic reduction. Other recent work explores hydrogen spillover dynamics, hydrodeoxygenation via proton/electron transfer at interfaces, and the use of zeolite-anchored rhodium sites for ethylene hydroformylation.