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Related Concept Videos

Reduction of Alkenes: Catalytic Hydrogenation02:13

Reduction of Alkenes: Catalytic Hydrogenation

Alkenes undergo reduction by the addition of molecular hydrogen to give alkanes. Because the process generally occurs in the presence of a transition-metal catalyst, the reaction is called catalytic hydrogenation.
Metals like palladium, platinum, and nickel are commonly used in their solid forms — fine powder on an inert surface. As these catalysts remain insoluble in the reaction mixture, they are referred to as heterogeneous catalysts.
The hydrogenation process takes place on the surface of...
Heterogeneous Catalysis01:22

Heterogeneous Catalysis

Heterogeneous catalysis involves a catalyst in a different phase from the reactants. It is a process where the catalyst and the reactants are in distinct phases, typically solid and gas or liquid.Most heterogeneous catalysts are metals, metal oxides, or acids. The list includes transition metals like iron (Fe), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), palladium (Pd), platinum (Pt), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), tungsten (W), silver (Ag), and copper (Cu). These metals possess partially vacant d orbitals that...
Reduction of Alkenes: Asymmetric Catalytic Hydrogenation02:17

Reduction of Alkenes: Asymmetric Catalytic Hydrogenation

Catalytic hydrogenation of alkenes is a transition-metal catalyzed reduction of the double bond using molecular hydrogen to give alkanes. The mode of hydrogen addition follows syn stereochemistry.
The metal catalyst used can be either heterogeneous or homogeneous. When hydrogenation of an alkene generates a chiral center, a pair of enantiomeric products is expected to form. However, an enantiomeric excess of one of the products can be facilitated using an enantioselective reaction or an...
Catalysis02:50

Catalysis

The presence of a catalyst affects the rate of a chemical reaction. A catalyst is a substance that can increase the reaction rate without being consumed during the process. A basic comprehension of a catalysts’ role during chemical reactions can be understood from the concept of reaction mechanisms and energy diagrams.
Catalysis01:27

Catalysis

Catalysis influences the rate of chemical reactions by providing an alternative reaction pathway with lower activation energy. A catalyst speeds up a reaction, but it is not consumed during the process. The fundamental principle of catalysis is the ability of a catalyst to alter the reaction mechanism, often introducing a more efficient pathway than the uncatalyzed process.In a catalyzed reaction, the catalyst participates directly in the reaction mechanism. It interacts with reactants to form...
Reduction of Alkynes to cis-Alkenes: Catalytic Hydrogenation02:24

Reduction of Alkynes to cis-Alkenes: Catalytic Hydrogenation

Introduction
Like alkenes, alkynes can be reduced to alkanes in the presence of transition metal catalysts such as Pt, Pd, or Ni. The reaction involves two sequential syn additions of hydrogen via a cis-alkene intermediate.

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Updated: Jun 18, 2026

Synthesis of Metal Nanoparticles Supported on Carbon Nanotube with Doped Co and N Atoms and its Catalytic Applications in Hydrogen Production
08:40

Synthesis 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

Single-atom cocatalysts engineer proton microenvironments for efficient alkaline hydrogen evolution.

Guang Yang1,2, Minghao Yang1,2, Zeshuo Meng1,2

  • 1School of Nano Technology and Nano Bionics, University of Science and Technology of China Hefei 230026 China ycui2015@sinano.ac.cn.

Chemical Science
|June 17, 2026
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Single-atom catalysts are redefined as cocatalytic regulators, not active sites. This new approach optimizes the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) by creating favorable microenvironments, significantly boosting catalyst performance.

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Synthesis and Performance Characterizations of Transition Metal Single Atom Catalyst for Electrochemical CO2 Reduction
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Synthesis of Metal Nanoparticles Supported on Carbon Nanotube with Doped Co and N Atoms and its Catalytic Applications in Hydrogen Production
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A Simple, Low-cost, and Robust System to Measure the Volume of Hydrogen Evolved by Chemical Reactions with Aqueous Solutions
06:32

A Simple, Low-cost, and Robust System to Measure the Volume of Hydrogen Evolved by Chemical Reactions with Aqueous Solutions

Published on: August 17, 2016

Area of Science:

  • Catalysis
  • Materials Science
  • Electrochemistry

Background:

  • Single-atom catalysts (SACs) are typically the primary active sites in catalytic reactions.
  • A new paradigm views single-atom sites as regulators that control reaction environments.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate single atoms as cocatalytic regulators for alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction (HER).
  • To explore how single-atom cocatalysts modulate the microenvironment of active sites.

Main Methods:

  • Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations to study the effect of Mo, W, and Cr single-atom cocatalysts on Ru sites.
  • Synthesis of Mo-Ru@CNT and characterization of its electrocatalytic performance.
  • Multi-scale characterization to understand the role of single-atom cocatalysts.

Main Results:

  • Mo, W, and Cr single-atom cocatalysts significantly optimize the hydrogen adsorption free energy (ΔGH*) on neighboring Ru sites.
  • Synthesized Mo-Ru@CNT exhibits near-zero overpotential and excellent HER performance, outperforming Ru@CNT.
  • Single-atom cocatalysts create *in situ* Brønsted acidic sites, forming a proton-enriched interfacial microenvironment.

Conclusions:

  • Redefines single-atom materials from active centers to cocatalytic regulators.
  • Opens new design strategies for electrocatalysts in complex reactions.
  • Highlights the importance of microenvironment engineering in catalysis.