Single-atom catalysis for a sustainable and greener future

The fact that supported single metal atoms can do catalysis provides unparalleled opportunities to develop innovative technologies for a sustainable and greener chemical industry. Single-atom catalysts not only maximize the utilization efficiency of expensive metals of rare resources but also have a great potential to significantly improve selectivity of the targeted catalytic reactions and lower the operation cost. This short review highlights the recent progress of understanding the nature of single-atom catalysts and their applications with a focus on major challenges encountered in heterogeneous catalysis such as carbon dioxide conversion, production of hydrogen, ammonia synthesis, and methane valorization.