The activity of supported noble metal catalysts strongly depends on the particle size. The ultimate small-size limit is the single-atom catalyst (SAC), which maximizes the catalytic efficiency in the majority of the examples. Here, we investigate the catalytic behavior of Pd SACs supported on magnetite nanoparticles and we unambiguously demonstrate that Pd SACs are absolutely inactive in the hydrogenation of various alkene substrates. Instead, Pd clusters of low atomicity exhibit outstanding catalytic performance.Postprint (author's final draft

The hydrogenation of CO2 into value‐added chemicals is one of the most investigated methods to reduce CO2 emissions in the atmosphere and thereby contributes to a sustainable chemical industry. Whereas the catalytic hydrogenation of CO2 into methanol and synthetic hydrocarbons is well established, the effective and selective transformation of CO2 into higher alcohols is still challenging. Here, we show that Pd single atoms anchored on the surface of Fe3O4 are very active for the hydrogenation of CO2 to ethanol at 300 °C, even at atmospheric pressure. By comparing various Pd/MOx catalysts, we conclude that the metal–oxide interface has a strong influence on catalytic behavior.

A new organometallic alkynyl–gold(i) complex exhibiting aggregation induced emission is capable of sensing Guanosine nucleotides via complementary hydrogen bonding in aqueous media.