Advances in Cu nanocluster catalyst design: recent progress and promising applications

Area of Science:

• Nanocatalysis
• Sustainable Chemistry
• Materials Science

Background:

• Growing demand for sustainable production of fuels and chemicals from non-fossil feedstocks.
• Need for efficient chemical transformations under mild conditions with controlled catalyst activity and selectivity.
• Emergence of atomically precise noble metal nanoclusters as advanced catalysts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present optimal design strategies and controlled synthesis of copper nanoclusters (Cu NCs) as catalysts.
• To explore the atomic-level tuning of active sites in Cu NCs.
• To cover the implications of size, shape, structure, ligands, and doping on catalytic performance.

Main Methods:

• Review of state-of-the-art approaches in nanocatalyst construction and modification.
• Focus on atomically precise synthesis of copper nanoclusters.
• Analysis of structure-property relationships in Cu NC catalysts.

Main Results:

• Copper nanoclusters (Cu NCs) exhibit unique structural architecture and designability for catalysis.
• Tuning of active sites at the atomic level is crucial for catalytic activity and selectivity.
• Cu NCs show promise across chemical catalysis, photocatalysis, and electrocatalysis.

Conclusions:

• Copper nanoclusters are rationally designed catalysts with high potential for sustainable chemical production.
• Controlling Cu NCs' atomic structure, size, and composition optimizes their catalytic functions.
• Cu NCs offer versatile applications in diverse catalytic fields, including emerging photocatalysis and electrocatalysis.