Single-Atom Electrocatalysts: A Critical Review of Recent Advancements
in Single-Site, Dual-Site, and Alloy Configurations for Enhanced
Electrochemical Water Splitting
Abstract
Single-atom catalysts (SACs) offer uniform active sites and exhibit
extremely high selectivity towards desired products by ensuring
consistent reaction pathways and minimizing the generation of undesired
byproducts. Metal atoms interact with their support materials to
determine the catalytic activity of SACs. Stronger coordination can
enhance stability by preventing aggregation and ensuring the longevity
of the isolated active site. The systematic design of next-generation
catalysts necessitates a profound understanding and meticulous control
of the metal-support synergy within SACs. The strategic integration of
dual-atom site catalysts (DACs) and single-atom alloy catalysts has
emerged as viable and efficient pathway to optimize catalytic
performance. DACs possess flexible active sites that work , resulting in
improved catalytic activity, selectivity, and stability. SAAs offer
well-defined active sites and enhanced catalytic performance due to the
high concentration of single-atom sites and bimetallic synergy. In
particular, the neighboring metal single atoms exhibit metal−metal
interactions, and the intersite distances of these neighboring atomic
sites significantly impact electrocatalytic performance. This
comprehensive review meticulously discusses the latest breakthroughs in
SACs designed for electrochemical water splitting. We delve into the
distinctive structural and electronic attributes of single-site,
dual-site, and alloy SAC configurations, elucidating how these features
enhance the water splitting reaction rates.