Locally Ordered Single-Atom Catalysts for Electrocatalysis

Single-atom catalysts manifest nearly 100 % atom utilization efficiency, well-defined active sites, and high selectivity. However, their practical applications are hindered by a low atom loading density, uncontrollable location, and ambiguous interaction with the support, thereby posing challenges to maximizing their electrocatalytic performance. To address these limitations, the ability to arrange randomly dispersed single atoms into locally ordered single-atom catalysts (LO-SACs) substantially influences the electronic effect between reactive sites and the support, the synergistic interaction among neighboring single atoms, the bonding energy of intermediates with reactive sites and the complexity of the mechanism. As such, it dramatically promotes reaction kinetics, reduces the energy barrier of the reaction, improves the performance of the catalyst and simplifies the reaction mechanism. In this review, firstly, we introduce a variety of compelling characteristics of LO-SACs as electrocatalysts. Subsequently, the synthetic strategies, characterization methods and applications of LO-SACs in electrocatalysis are discussed. Finally, the future opportunities and challenges are elaborated to encourage further exploration in this rapidly evolving field.