Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 7, 2026

Synthesis and Performance Characterizations of Transition Metal Single Atom Catalyst for Electrochemical CO2 Reduction
Published on: April 10, 2018
Single-atom dispersed Co-N-C catalyst: structure identification and performance for hydrogenative coupling of
Wengang Liu1,2, Leilei Zhang1, Wensheng Yan3
1State Key Laboratory of Catalysis , iChEM (Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials) , Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics , Chinese Academy of Sciences , 457 ZhongShan Road , Dalian , 116023 , China . Email: aqwang@dicp.ac.cn ;
Abstract:
Co-N-C catalysts are promising candidates for substituting platinum in electrocatalysis and organic transformations. The heterogeneity of the Co species resulting from high-temperature pyrolysis, however, encumbers the structural identification of active sites. Herein, we report a self-supporting Co-N-C catalyst wherein cobalt is dispersed exclusively as single atoms. By using sub-Ångström-resolution HAADF-STEM in combination with XAFS and DFT calculation, the exact structure of the Co-N-C is identified to be CoN4C8-1-2O2, where the Co center atom is coordinated with four pyridinic N atoms in the graphitic layer, while two oxygen molecules are weakly adsorbed on Co atoms in perpendicular to the Co-N4 plane. This single-atom dispersed Co-N-C catalyst presents excellent performance for the chemoselective hydrogenation of nitroarenes to produce azo compounds under mild reaction conditions.
More Related Videos
10:10Neutron Crystallography Data Collection and Processing for Modelling Hydrogen Atoms in Protein Structures
Published on: December 1, 2020
08:40Synthesis of Metal Nanoparticles Supported on Carbon Nanotube with Doped Co and N Atoms and its Catalytic Applications in Hydrogen Production
Published on: December 6, 2021
Related Concept Videos
Atomic Structure
Atomic Structure
Hydrogen Bonds
Hydrogen Bonds Control the World!
Because hydrogen has very weak electronegativity when it binds with a strongly electronegative atom, such as oxygen or nitrogen, electrons in the bond are unequally shared....
Electronic Structure of Atoms
An atom comprises protons and neutrons, which are contained inside the dense, central core called the nucleus, with electrons present around the nucleus. Taking into account the wave–particle duality of electrons and the uncertainty in position around the nucleus, quantum mechanics provides a more accurate model for the atomic structure. It describes atomic orbitals as the regions around the nucleus where electrons of discrete energy exist, characterized by four quantum...
Hybridization of Atomic Orbitals II
Atomic Orbitals