Single-atom catalyst (SAC) is a conceptual bridge between homo- and heterogeneous catalysis. It offers new opportunities for capturing the reaction intermediates by identifying the active sites, and even monitoring the dynamic behaviors of both the geometric structure and electronic environment of the catalytic sites at atomic scale.

Both the exploration of model SACs with definite microenvironment and the development of novel operando techniques with high energy resolution are significant, yet still challenging.

Recently, our joint research team from DICP, Nanyang Technological University of Singapore, and Tsinghua University in collaboration with our Center reported in the first time that the operando Mössbauer spectroscopic studies on the Single-Fe-Atom Material during oxygen reduction reaction (ORR).

The study was published in Chem on November 20.

The identification of the catalytic centers in single-Fe-atom material byour self-developed operando Mössbauer spectroscopy (Image by LI Xuning)