Citation: Fengfan Zhao, Aijuan Han. The lone ranger in chemistry: a monologue of single-atom catalysts[J]. University Chemistry, ;2026, 41(7): 234-238. doi: 10.12461/PKU.DXHX202506090 shu

The lone ranger in chemistry: a monologue of single-atom catalysts

Fengfan Zhao ,
Aijuan Han ^,

College of Chemistry, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China

Corresponding author: Aijuan Han, hanaijuan@mail.buct.edu.cn
Received Date: 24 June 2025
Revised Date: 29 August 2025

This study innovatively adopts a personification narrative approach, presenting a first-person perspective to introduce readers to the fascinating realm of single-atom catalysts (SACs). We reveal the selective control mechanism of active sites that operates with “acupuncture-like precision”, demonstrate the structural stability resembling “diamond-like indestructibility”, and explore the multifunctional catalytic properties comparable to a “shape-shifting virtuoso”. Through these vivid analogies, the article provides an accessible yet scientifically rigorous explanation of SACs’ transformative applications in energy conversion, environmental remediation, and biomedical fields.
- Single-atom catalysts,
- Structural characteristics,
- Catalytic applications
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沈阳化工大学材料科学与工程学院沈阳 110142