A Cu-based catalyst has the advantages of low price and
high reserves
as well as catalytic activity in acetylene hydrochlorination. In order
to better design and prepare efficient Cu single-atom catalysts (SACs)
for acetylene hydrochlorination, a single Cu atom anchored by different
heteroatoms was investigated by constructing the CuX4 (X
= B, C, N, O, P) structure using the spin-polarized density functional
theory (DFT). According to the results, the N-doped substrate significantly
increased the charge of the Cu atom, and B- and P-doped substrates
provided multiple active sites, while the O-doped substrate could
not stably anchor the single Cu atom. In general, different catalysts
had different dominant mechanisms, and it was found that the charge
transfer between single metal atoms and substrates could be used as
a descriptor of the catalytic performance. This work reveals the effect
mechanisms of the local coordination environment for Cu SACs catalyzing
acetylene hydrochlorination, as well as provides theoretical insights
for the rational design of efficient Cu-based catalysts.