Studies on the Morphology Effect on Catalytic Ability of a Single MnO₂ Catalyst Particle with a Solid Nanopipette

Investigating the catalytic ability of an individual catalyst particle helps to understand heterogeneity and can provide new insights into the synthesis of high-efficiency catalysts. Solid-state nanopores have become a promising tool for detecting single molecules/particles due to their high temporal and spatial resolution. Here, we report a nanopore-based strategy for the evaluation and comparison of a single MnO₂ catalyst particle with different morphologies by monitoring the generated O₂ bubbles from the catalytic decomposition of H₂O₂. The finite element simulation was introduced to account for the flow velocity and bubble-induced current variation in the nanopore. In particular, the differences in catalytic ability of spherical and cubic MnO₂ have been studied by calculating the production rate and volume of O₂. It demonstrates that the shape of a single MnO₂ catalyst particle has a significant effect on its catalytic activity indeed.