Editorial: Catalyst Synthesis by Design for the Understanding of Catalysis

Abstract

Catalysis plays a critical role in our daily life, from energy to healthcare and from clothing to the environment. Heterogeneous catalysis usually occurs on solid surfaces that provide the appropriate electronic and/or geometric environment. The ultimate goal of research on heterogeneous catalysis is to provide a fundamental understanding of the nature of active sites toward the design of efficient heterogeneous catalysts that provide highest activity, 100 % selectivity, and long-term stability. A catalytic reaction, by its nature, involves atomic-scale and nanoscale entities that interact dynamically with reactant molecules. To better understand the complex processes of heterogeneous catalysis requires better control of the structure and chemistry of the active sites. Advancement in synthesis of nanostructured catalysts, such as shape and size control of particles or pores, modification of surface adsorption energies by compositional and structural modulation, fabrication of unique active sites, and manipulation of particle-support interactions, etc., not only provides better-controlled active sites for fundamental studies of heterogeneous catalysis, but also has practical implications for developing improved or novel industrial catalysts for applications in energy, environment, and sustainability.

Engineering Interface and Surface of Noble Metal Nanoparticle Nanotubes toward Enhanced Catalytic Activity for Fuel Cell Applications

“…Tracking the shape and composition changes during the electrocatalysis will provide the references for understanding the surface area and activity loss mechanisms. Meanwhile, with the fast development of electron microscopy and other in situ analysis techniques, as well as computational chemistry, there are more chances to get the exact surface composition and structural information at an atomic scale . These achievements will pave the way for the further development of fuel cell applications.…”

The Power of Single‐Atom Catalysis

“…According to the nature of the interaction, SMSIs can be mainly divided into two types, one stemming from electronic defects and the other one mainly caused by surface structural defects 8. 18, 26 Around this term, there are many important issues to understand, for example, effects of SMSIs on the sintering and shaping of metal particles, on electron transfer, on formation of interfacial phase, or new compounds.…”

Computational Design of Clusters for Catalysis

“…Catalysis is not only important for the production of chemicals, materials, and food, but also essential for pollution control and medical applications, and it is at the heart of the development of sustainable energy solutions. Currently, the ultimate goal of research in heterogeneous catalysis is to provide a fundamental understanding of the processes involved in a catalytic reaction and to be able to design and synthesize catalysts with optimized properties (2).…”