Promoting Dinuclear-Type Catalysis in Cu-1-C3N4 Single-Atom Catalysts

Reducing particle size in supported metal catalysts to single-atom level isolates the active metal sites and maximizes the atomic utilization efficiency. However, the large inter-atom distance, particularly in low-loading single-atom catalyst (SAC), is not favorable for a complex reaction where two (or more) reactants have to be activated. A key question is how to control the inter-atom distances to promote dinuclear-type coactivation at the adjacent metal sites. Here, it is reported that reducing the average inter-atom distance of copper SACs supported on carbon nitride (C3N4) to 0.74 +/- 0.13 nm allows these catalysts to exhibit a dinuclear-type catalytic mechanism in the nitrile-azide cycloaddition. Operando X-ray absorption fine structure study reveals a dynamic ligand exchange process between nitrile and azide, followed by their coactivation on dinuclear Cu SAC sites to form the tetrazole product. This work highlights that reducing the nearest-neighbor distance of SAC allows the mechanistic pathway to diversify from single-site to multisite catalysis.