Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Atomic Structure01:33

Atomic Structure

209.3K
Overview
209.3K
Atomic Mass01:52

Atomic Mass

70.1K
Atoms — and the protons, neutrons, and electrons that compose them — are extremely small. For example, a carbon atom weighs less than 2 × 10−23 g. When describing the properties of tiny objects such as atoms, we use appropriately small units of measure, such as the atomic mass unit (amu). The amu was originally defined based on hydrogen, the lightest element, then later in terms of oxygen. Since 1961, it has been defined with regard to the most abundant isotope of carbon, atoms of which...
70.1K
Activation Energy01:26

Activation Energy

86.6K
Activation energy is the minimum amount of energy necessary for a chemical reaction to move forward. The higher the activation energy, the slower the rate of the reaction. However, adding heat to the reaction will increase the rate, since it causes molecules to move faster and increase the likelihood that molecules will collide. The collision and breaking of bonds represents the uphill phase of a reaction and generates the transition state. The transition state is an unstable high-energy state...
86.6K
Atomic Orbitals02:44

Atomic Orbitals

43.9K
An atomic orbital represents the three-dimensional regions in an atom where an electron has the highest probability to reside. The radial distribution function indicates the total probability of finding an electron within the thin shell at a distance r from the nucleus. The atomic orbitals have distinct shapes which are determined by l, the angular momentum quantum number. The orbitals are often drawn with a boundary surface, enclosing densest regions of the cloud.
43.9K
Hybridization of Atomic Orbitals I03:24

Hybridization of Atomic Orbitals I

67.2K
The mathematical expression known as the wave function, ψ, contains information about each orbital and the wavelike properties of electrons in an isolated atom. When atoms are bound together in a molecule, the wave functions combine to produce new mathematical descriptions that have different shapes. This process of combining the wave functions for atomic orbitals is called hybridization and is mathematically accomplished by the linear combination of atomic orbitals. The new orbitals that...
67.2K
The Energies of Atomic Orbitals03:21

The Energies of Atomic Orbitals

30.2K
In an atom, the negatively charged electrons are attracted to the positively charged nucleus. In a multielectron atom, electron-electron repulsions are also observed. The attractive and repulsive forces are dependent on the distance between the particles, as well as the sign and magnitude of the charges on the individual particles. When the charges on the particles are opposite, they attract each other. If both particles have the same charge, they repel each other.
30.2K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Contamination analysis of the residual gas composition in transmission electron microscopy.

Ultramicroscopy·2026
Same author

Observation of Transition from Rate Law to Butler-Volmer Controlled Water Oxidation Kinetics on Hematite Photoanodes.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026
Same author

Realizing Scalable Chemical Vapor Deposition of Monolayer Graphene Films on Iron with Concurrent Surface Hardening by <i>In Situ</i> Observations.

ACS applied materials & interfaces·2026
Same author

Operando X-ray Spectroscopy Study of Pd and Pd-Au Laterally Condensed Catalysts during Selective Acetylene Hydrogenation: The Role of Carbon.

Advanced materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)·2026
Same author

Electron beam-induced transformation of LDH and derived materials.

Micron (Oxford, England : 1993)·2026
Same author

Charge accumulation and solvation in β-NiOOH: Surface chemistry of an OER catalyst from ML-aided simulations.

The Journal of chemical physics·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 30, 2026

Synthesis and Performance Characterizations of Transition Metal Single Atom Catalyst for Electrochemical CO2 Reduction
10:57

Synthesis and Performance Characterizations of Transition Metal Single Atom Catalyst for Electrochemical CO2 Reduction

Published on: April 10, 2018

19.1K

Ni Single Atom Catalysts for CO2 Activation.

Marie-Mathilde Millet1, Gerardo Algara-Siller1, Sabine Wrabetz1

  • 1Department of Inorganic Chemistry , Fritz-Haber-Institut der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft , Faradayweg 4-6 , 14195 Berlin , Germany.

Journal of the American Chemical Society
|January 15, 2019
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Single-atom nickel catalysts activate carbon dioxide (CO2) for the reverse water-gas shift reaction. However, isolated nickel atoms cannot hydrogenate products further, highlighting limits in single-atom catalysis for complex reactions.

More Related Videos

Predicting Catalyst Extrudate Breakage Based on the Modulus of Rupture
09:53

Predicting Catalyst Extrudate Breakage Based on the Modulus of Rupture

Published on: May 13, 2018

8.7K
Imine Metathesis by Silica-Supported Catalysts Using the Methodology of Surface Organometallic Chemistry
09:37

Imine Metathesis by Silica-Supported Catalysts Using the Methodology of Surface Organometallic Chemistry

Published on: October 18, 2019

10.1K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jan 30, 2026

Synthesis and Performance Characterizations of Transition Metal Single Atom Catalyst for Electrochemical CO2 Reduction
10:57

Synthesis and Performance Characterizations of Transition Metal Single Atom Catalyst for Electrochemical CO2 Reduction

Published on: April 10, 2018

19.1K
Predicting Catalyst Extrudate Breakage Based on the Modulus of Rupture
09:53

Predicting Catalyst Extrudate Breakage Based on the Modulus of Rupture

Published on: May 13, 2018

8.7K
Imine Metathesis by Silica-Supported Catalysts Using the Methodology of Surface Organometallic Chemistry
09:37

Imine Metathesis by Silica-Supported Catalysts Using the Methodology of Surface Organometallic Chemistry

Published on: October 18, 2019

10.1K

Area of Science:

  • Materials Science
  • Catalysis
  • Surface Chemistry

Background:

  • Single-atom catalysts (SACs) offer unique reactivity due to maximal atom utilization.
  • Understanding the role of isolated metal atoms versus clusters is crucial for catalyst design.
  • CO2 conversion is a key process for carbon capture and utilization.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the catalytic activity of nickel single-atom catalysts (SACs) for CO2 activation.
  • To elucidate the reaction mechanism and identify active sites for CO2 conversion.
  • To assess the stability and limitations of Ni SACs in CO2 hydrogenation reactions.

Main Methods:

  • Synthesis of Ni SACs via solid solution of Ni2+ in MgO.
  • Characterization using X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and microcalorimetry.
  • Computational modeling using hybrid-functional calculations.
  • In-situ catalytic testing for CO2 conversion and hydrogenation.

Main Results:

  • Ni atoms preferentially occupy low-coordinated surface sites on MgO.
  • Ni SACs efficiently catalyze CO2 to CO conversion via the reverse water-gas shift (rWGS) reaction.
  • CO formation rate shows a linear correlation with surface Ni concentration.
  • Ni SACs are stable for over 100 hours, with no observed Ni cluster formation during reaction.
  • CO2 hydrogenation to CH4 or methanol requires Ni clusters, not isolated Ni atoms.
  • Surface carbonate formation and decomposition are linked to Ni aggregation.

Conclusions:

  • Atomically dispersed Ni on MgO acts as active sites for CO2 activation and rWGS.
  • Isolated Ni atoms are insufficient for subsequent hydrogenation steps, indicating limitations of SACs for complex transformations.
  • The stability of Ni SACs is demonstrated, but aggregation can occur under reaction conditions.
  • This work provides fundamental insights into Ni active sites for CO2 utilization and the boundaries of SACs.