Strong Oxide-Support Interaction (SOSI): Engineering Interfacial Microenvironments for Advanced Catalysis

Strong oxide-support interaction (SOSI) is a core design principle driving the development of oxide-based catalysts. This perspective critically examines current limitations in systematically optimizing SOSI strength for diverse reactions. It argues that optimal SOSI strength is inherently reaction-dependent, challenging the traditional view of it as a universally maximized parameter. While strategic engineering has led to significant advancements, such as 84.6% methanol selectivity in CO₂ hydrogenation and 1100 h stability in oxygen evolution reactions, the field still lacks a comprehensive understanding. The emergence of reliable descriptors, like support O 1s binding energy for predicting oxide-support affinity, offers promising avenues for rational design. However, significant challenges persist in large-scale synthesis and, more critically, in establishing robust quantitative correlations between specific SOSI characteristics and catalytic performance. This perspective highlights the urgent need for a coherent and predictive SOSI design framework to accelerate rational catalyst discovery and optimization.