Regulating the steric effect at the zero-dimensional interface

The regulation mechanism of a zero-dimensional interface towards a catalytic reaction in the setting of a single-atom catalyst has been elusive to researchers. In a recent article published in Journal of the American Chemical Society, Zeng and Zhou et al. differentiated the electronic and steric effects on the oxygen evolution reaction at two distinct zero-dimensional interfaces. The steric interaction resulted in the desired adsorption behavior of intermediates at the interface, which lowered the energy barrier to the rate-determining step (RDS) and thus facilitated the oxygen evolution reaction. For the first time, this work validated the impacts of electronic and steric effects on the atomic interface of catalysts by delicately designing the anchoring site of single atoms on the support. The elegant design concept presented in this work pushes the research field of interface engineering to the atomic level and blazes a trail for the rational development of high-performing catalysts.