{"title":"Boosted hydroformylation of high-carbon olefins with optimized n/i ratio via monodisperse rhodium catalysts supported on copolymerized porous organic ligands","authors":"Yilin Zhao, Jicheng Dong, Leilei Qian, Cunyao Li, Fang Cheng","doi":"10.1039/d6cy00145a","DOIUrl":"10.1039/d6cy00145a","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Hydroformylation is a pivotal industrial homogeneous catalytic process, mainly relying on rhodium-based organophosphorus catalytic systems. However, this system faces critical challenges: cumbersome product separation, severe leaching of precious rhodium, and a low n/i (normal/iso-aldehyde) ratio of target products, hampering its industrial efficiency. Porous organic ligand polymers (POLs)—endowed with excellent thermal stability and hierarchical pores—are ideal heterogeneous supports for rhodium catalysts, effectively suppressing metal leaching and showing great potential in high-carbon olefin hydroformylation. Herein, we designed a xanthene-based oxygen-containing diphosphine ligand, which was copolymerized with vinyltriphenylphosphine to prepare porous organic copolymer supports with different monomer ratios. Using these supports, we successfully constructed a supported single-atom rhodium catalyst. Experimental results show that the catalyst exhibits excellent thermal stability and long-term durability, achieving high substrate conversion and remarkable <em>n</em>-aldehyde selectivity in the hydroformylation of high-carbon olefins (<em>e.g.</em>, 1-octene). Characterization further reveals that the copolymerization-enabled precise regulation of the ligand microenvironment, combined with the xanthene-based diphosphine's modulation of the electronic state and spatial configuration of rhodium active centers, forms a synergistic effect—this is the key to the catalyst's significantly improved n/i ratio. This work addresses core limitations of traditional rhodium catalytic systems, offering a promising heterogeneous catalyst for efficient industrial hydroformylation of high-carbon olefins.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":66,"journal":{"name":"Catalysis Science & Technology","volume":"16 12","pages":"Pages 4181-4189"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148285346","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Keshav Dev, Prashant Kukreti, Kaushik Ghosh, Pradip K. Maji
{"title":"Design of a cellulose-derived Cu(ii) catalyst for efficient dehydrogenative synthesis of pyrimidines from renewable primary alcohols","authors":"Keshav Dev, Prashant Kukreti, Kaushik Ghosh, Pradip K. Maji","doi":"10.1039/d6cy00550k","DOIUrl":"10.1039/d6cy00550k","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In this study, a cellulose-derived Schiff base (CSB) was developed as a renewable support for immobilizing Cu(<span>ii</span>), creating a robust and recyclable catalytic system with excellent activity in green synthesis transformations. The resulting cellulose-derived Schiff base–Cu(<span>ii</span>) complex (CSC) showed remarkable efficiency as a heterogeneous catalyst for the sustainable, eco-friendly, and practical multi-component synthesis (MCS) of pyrimidines. The catalytic process occurs <em>via</em> acceptorless dehydrogenation of benzyl alcohols. Detailed characterization confirmed strong coordination of Cu(<span>ii</span>) within the CSB matrix, providing a stable framework that supports the catalytic cycle and hydride transfer mechanism. The reaction proceeds efficiently with various primary alcohols, producing molecular hydrogen as the only by-product, thus ensuring excellent atom economy. The CSC catalyst demonstrated high stability and could be easily recovered and reused over multiple catalytic cycles with minimal loss of activity. This work highlights the potential of cellulose-derived Schiff base frameworks as versatile platforms for developing sustainable transition-metal catalysts that enable environmentally friendly heterocyclic syntheses.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":66,"journal":{"name":"Catalysis Science & Technology","volume":"16 12","pages":"Pages 4122-4133"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148285300","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Sulfonated perylene bisimide-based conjugated organic polymer for simultaneous bisphenol A degradation and hydrogen peroxide production","authors":"Yuzhe Zhang, Aomei Li, Zhenhao Fan, Danfeng Wang, Shiyuan Zhou, Guangfeng Liu, Peiyang Gu, Zhongyu Li","doi":"10.1039/d6cy00251j","DOIUrl":"10.1039/d6cy00251j","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Conjugated organic polymers (COPs) constructed from carbazole and perylene bisimide exhibit excellent performance in the simultaneous degradation of bisphenol A (BPA) and photocatalytic synthesis of hydrogen peroxide (H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub>). However, their intrinsic hydrophobicity severely limits interfacial reaction efficiency and reduces overall catalytic activity. To address this issue, in this study, sulfonic acid groups (–SO<sub>3</sub>H) were introduced into the porous framework of PPDI-C <em>via</em> a facile one-pot method under ambient temperature and pressure, successfully preparing a hydrophilic COP denoted as PPDI-SO<sub>3</sub>H. The water contact angle of PPDI-SO<sub>3</sub>H is 0°, much lower than 110° of the parent COP (PPDI-C), realizing a significant modification from hydrophobicity to hydrophilicity. Compared with PPDI-C, PPDI-SO<sub>3</sub>H shows improved charge separation and transfer efficiency, leading to significantly enhanced photocatalytic performance. Under air and neutral conditions, the H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> production rate of PPDI-SO<sub>3</sub>H reaches 261 μmol h<sup>−1</sup> g<sup>−1</sup>, and further increases to 941 μmol h<sup>−1</sup> g<sup>−1</sup> when BPA acts as a hole scavenger. In terms of degradation performance, PPDI-SO<sub>3</sub>H removes more than 99% of 20 mg L<sup>−1</sup> BPA within 10 minutes and 97% of 100 mg L<sup>−1</sup> BPA within 20 minutes, outperforming most reported photocatalytic materials. In addition, the catalyst exhibits excellent cycling stability and good tolerance to pH and interfering ions, showing important engineering application potential in practical water treatment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":66,"journal":{"name":"Catalysis Science & Technology","volume":"16 12","pages":"Pages 4213-4219"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148285349","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Achieving stable syngas production during the photothermal synergistic dry reforming of methane over layered double hydroxide-based catalysts with anti-coking performance","authors":"Juntao Li, Tengfei Li, Yuhao Liu, Yang Guo, Lingzhao Kong, Pengjie Miao","doi":"10.1039/d6cy00289g","DOIUrl":"10.1039/d6cy00289g","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Dry reforming of methane (DRM) offers a promising route to convert CH<sub>4</sub> and CO<sub>2</sub> into syngas, addressing both greenhouse gas mitigation and carbon resource utilization. However, its practical application is hindered by high energy consumption and severe catalyst deactivation due to coking. Leveraging the structural tunability of layered double hydroxides (LDH), we synthesized three LDH-derived spinel-supported Ni-based catalysts (Ni/XAl<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub>, X = Mg, Co, and Cu) and evaluated them in photothermal synergistic catalytic DRM (PTSC-DRM). Substituting Cu with Mg in the support markedly increased the specific surface area from 44.81 to 181.29 m<sup>2</sup> g<sup>−1</sup>, significantly enhanced CO<sub>2</sub> adsorption capacity, and strengthened the metal–support interactions. At 600 °C and under 2.91 W cm<sup>−2</sup> illumination, Ni/MgAl<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub> achieved CH<sub>4</sub> and CO<sub>2</sub> conversions of 38.49% and 42.13%, respectively, and maintained stable performance over 45.5 h of continuous operation. The coking rate was drastically reduced from 5.00 mgC g<sub>cat</sub><sup>−1</sup> h<sup>−1</sup> (for Ni/CoAl<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub>) to 0.98 mgC g<sub>cat</sub><sup>−1</sup> h<sup>−1</sup>, with no reactor clogging observed. Mechanistically, light irradiation continuously promotes CO<sub>2</sub> activation through photogenerated electron–hole pairs, synergistically enhancing coking resistance alongside the thermal catalytic pathway. This work capitalizes on the structural versatility of LDH materials and provides a new strategy for designing low-cost, high-stability, and coke-resistant catalysts for PTSC-DRM.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":66,"journal":{"name":"Catalysis Science & Technology","volume":"16 12","pages":"Pages 4134-4148"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148285301","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Catalytically active carbon for electrochemical production of H2O2via 2e− ORR: design strategies, catalytic mechanisms, and application potential","authors":"Xingsheng Li, Shuling Liu, Changli Li, Jiaqi Wang, Jinge Zhang, Yanyan Liu, Jianchun Jiang, Yongfeng Wang, Baojun Li","doi":"10.1039/d6cy00073h","DOIUrl":"10.1039/d6cy00073h","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Hydrogen peroxide (H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub>) serves as a versatile green oxidant with extensive applications in industrial production, environmental remediation, and advanced energy technologies. While the anthraquinone process remains the dominant industrial method, its high energy consumption and complex operational procedures have driven the development of more sustainable synthesis approaches. The electrochemical synthesis route based on the two-electron oxygen reduction reaction (2<em>e</em><sup>−</sup> ORR) has emerged as an attractive alternative because of its mild reaction conditions, straightforward operation, and excellent compatibility with renewable energy systems. However, this method still faces critical challenges in product selectivity, reaction kinetics, and long-term catalyst stability during practical applications. Catalytically active carbon (CAC) materials have become promising candidates to replace precious metal catalysts owing to their cost-effectiveness, environmental friendliness, and tunable material properties. This study systematically summarizes recent advances in the applications of emerging CAC for 2<em>e</em><sup>−</sup> ORR. Fundamental investigations elucidate the competitive mechanisms between 2<em>e</em><sup>−</sup> and 4<em>e</em><sup>−</sup> pathways, establishing critical correlations between electronic configurations at active sites and catalytic selectivity. Advanced strategies for material design are discussed, including controlled defect generation, heteroatom doping, and atomic-scale metal coordination approaches. Practical applications are comprehensively evaluated across sustainable chemical production, environmental treatment technologies, and next-generation energy conversion platforms.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":66,"journal":{"name":"Catalysis Science & Technology","volume":"16 12","pages":"Pages 3967-3989"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148285307","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yani Guan, Justus Kümper, Angelina Cuomo, Simran Kumari, Sonja D. Mürtz, Pavlo Nikolaienko, Karl J. J. Mayrhofer, Regina Palkovits, Philippe Sautet
{"title":"Electrochemical amination of acetone using Ag as cathode: mechanism and role of Pb impurities for hydrogen transfer","authors":"Yani Guan, Justus Kümper, Angelina Cuomo, Simran Kumari, Sonja D. Mürtz, Pavlo Nikolaienko, Karl J. J. Mayrhofer, Regina Palkovits, Philippe Sautet","doi":"10.1039/d6cy00189k","DOIUrl":"10.1039/d6cy00189k","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Electrochemical reductive amination of acetone using Ag electrodes is strongly enhanced by 1 ppm Pb in the solution but the underlying mechanisms and the nature of the Pb species remain poorly understood. To understand how trace elements alter reaction pathways and enhance catalytic performance, the catalytic behavior of Pb traces in electrochemical hydrogenation was theoretically investigated. Using computational modeling, we examined the formation of Pb hydrides (PbH<sub>2</sub> and PbH<sub>4</sub>) on the electrified silver surface at the highly reducing potential used experimentally and their reactivity either at the polarized surface or in the solution in proximity of the electrode, including for hydrogen transfer towards the imine intermediate in the electrocatalytic amination of acetone with methylamine. Our results highlight a key role of Pb hydride species (PbH<sub>2</sub> at the electrode surface or PbH<sub>4</sub> in the near-electrode solution) for the imine hydrogenation step. In the absence of Pb, hydrogenations directly on the Ag electrode by proton-coupled electron transfer or by surface hydrides both suffer from high energy barriers, altogether explaining the experimental requirement of Pb traces for activity. One possible scenario is a dynamic cycle where PbH<sub>4</sub>, a highly unstable compound, is formed by the reducing potential at the Ag electrode and acts as a short-lived hydrogen shuttle in the near-electrode solution, either homogeneously hydrogenating the imine or producing hydrogen evolution, by decomposition or interaction with water. Another scenario underlines PbH<sub>2</sub> as the main actor, formed on the electrode, and hydrogenating the imine on the Ag surface heterogeneously. This study proposes an original hypothesis for the role of Pb as a hydrogen transfer agent, offering a mechanistic understanding of its catalytic behavior. Our findings not only explain the enhanced efficiency and selectivity observed in Pb-catalyzed electrochemical hydrogenation but also open avenues for the rational design of advanced catalysts based on trace elements to optimize sustainable electrochemical processes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":66,"journal":{"name":"Catalysis Science & Technology","volume":"16 12","pages":"Pages 4090-4102"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148285334","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Francesco Ravera, Alessandro Bortoli, Juan José Gamboa-Carballo, Sonia Mallet-Ladeira, Karinne Miqueu, Didier Bourissou, Andrea Biffis
{"title":"Activation of isocyanates with gold: towards Au-catalyzed C–H amidation of pyrroles","authors":"Francesco Ravera, Alessandro Bortoli, Juan José Gamboa-Carballo, Sonia Mallet-Ladeira, Karinne Miqueu, Didier Bourissou, Andrea Biffis","doi":"10.1039/d6cy00297h","DOIUrl":"10.1039/d6cy00297h","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The intermolecular hydroarylation of isocyanates with pyrroles was found to be efficiently catalyzed by the Au(<span>i</span>) complex IPrAuNTf<sub>2</sub> (IPr = <em>N</em>,<em>N</em>′-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-imidazol-2-ylidene). The transformation tolerates electron-withdrawing and electron-donating substituents both at the heterocycle and the isocyanate. It affords secondary aromatic amides in a single step under mild conditions with catalyst loadings down to 0.5 mol%. The reaction proceeds <em>via</em> coordination of the isocyanate to gold and outer-sphere nucleophilic attack of the heterocycle. Several gold(<span>i</span>) isocyanate adducts were authenticated by multinuclear NMR spectroscopy at low temperatures. <sup>15</sup>N-labeling of the organic fragment allowed us to observe a deshielding of the <sup>13</sup>C NMR NCO signal and a decrease of the associated <sup>1</sup><em>J</em><sub>CN</sub> coupling constant upon coordination to gold. With further support from density functional theory (DFT) calculations, the ground state was assigned to an η<sup>1</sup>-<em>N</em>-coordination isomer. The corresponding η<sup>1</sup>-<em>O</em>-adduct lies <em>ca.</em> 8–11 kcal mol<sup>−1</sup> higher in energy. A gold(<span>i</span>) π-adduct involving <em>N</em>-methyl pyrrole as the substrate was also authenticated experimentally, including by X-ray crystallography. The latter species is involved as an off-cycle resting state in the catalytic transformation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":66,"journal":{"name":"Catalysis Science & Technology","volume":"16 12","pages":"Pages 4103-4113"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148285335","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Outstanding Reviewers for Catalysis Science & Technology in 2025","authors":"None","doi":"10.1039/D6CY90034H","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D6CY90034H","url":null,"abstract":"<p >We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of <em>Catalysis Science & Technology</em>'s reviewers for helping to preserve quality and integrity in chemical science literature. We would also like to highlight the Outstanding Reviewers for <em>Catalysis Science & Technology</em> in 2025.</p>","PeriodicalId":66,"journal":{"name":"Catalysis Science & Technology","volume":" 12","pages":" 3966-3966"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148285306","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jianyou Liang , Haining Sun , Bolian Xu , Yubing Liu , Lei Yu , Yining Fan
{"title":"Support facet effects on the performance of V2O5–WO3–CeO2/TiO2 catalysts for selective catalytic reduction of NO with NH3","authors":"Jianyou Liang , Haining Sun , Bolian Xu , Yubing Liu , Lei Yu , Yining Fan","doi":"10.1039/d5cy01611h","DOIUrl":"10.1039/d5cy01611h","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A micro-catalytic reaction evaluation device, coupled with multiple physicochemical characterization techniques, was employed to study the structure and selective catalytic reduction (SCR) performance of supported V<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub>–WO<sub>3</sub>–CeO<sub>2</sub>/TiO<sub>2</sub> catalysts. TiO<sub>2</sub> with preferentially exposed facets served as the catalyst support. The promotional role of CeO<sub>2</sub> and the facet effect of the TiO<sub>2</sub> support were elucidated, providing critical insights for understanding the SCR mechanism and for the further optimization of catalyst performance. CeO<sub>2</sub> was found to enhance the catalytic activity across all V<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub>–WO<sub>3</sub>–CeO<sub>2</sub>/TiO<sub>2</sub> catalysts, irrespective of the predominant facet exposed by the support. Both the NO conversion and N<sub>2</sub> selectivity followed the order: V<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub>–WO<sub>3</sub>–CeO<sub>2</sub>/TiO<sub>2</sub>-NP{101} > V<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub>–WO<sub>3</sub>–CeO<sub>2</sub>/TiO<sub>2</sub>-NL{111} > V<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub>–WO<sub>3</sub>–CeO<sub>2</sub>/TiO<sub>2</sub>-NS{001}. Characterization of surface acidity and redox properties revealed that CeO<sub>2</sub> modulates catalytic behavior through specific bonding interactions: (i) it attenuates the strength of B acid sites (associated with W<sup>6+</sup>–OH) <em>via</em> forming O–Ce<sup>4+</sup>–O–W<sup>6+</sup>–O linkages and (ii) it improves the reducibility of V<sup>5+</sup> species through Ce<sup>4+</sup>–O–V<sup>5+</sup> bonds. The facet-dependent activity correlated directly with the surface cation vacancy density of the TiO<sub>2</sub> supports, measured as 1.7, 1.2 and 1.1 mmol/100 m<sup>2</sup> for the {101}, {111} and {001} facets, respectively. The {101}-faceted TiO<sub>2</sub>, possessing the highest vacancy density, fostered the strongest interaction with dispersed V<sup>5+</sup>, W<sup>6+</sup> and Ce<sup>4+</sup> ions. This synergistic interaction further optimized the B acid strength and redox properties, ultimately accounting for the superior SCR performance of the V<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub>–WO<sub>3</sub>–CeO<sub>2</sub>/TiO<sub>2</sub>-NP{101} catalyst.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":66,"journal":{"name":"Catalysis Science & Technology","volume":"16 11","pages":"Pages 3867-3880"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-06-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148196117","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yuting Ye , Xia Zhou , Yuping Chen , Likai Wang , Qing Tang
{"title":"The effect of electrolyte alkali cations on CO2 electroreduction in atomically precise Ag25(SR)18 nanoclusters","authors":"Yuting Ye , Xia Zhou , Yuping Chen , Likai Wang , Qing Tang","doi":"10.1039/d6cy00350h","DOIUrl":"10.1039/d6cy00350h","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Atomically precise metal nanoclusters (NCs) are promising electrocatalysts for the electrocatalytic carbon dioxide reduction reaction (eCO<sub>2</sub>RR), benefiting from their well-defined structures and unique physicochemical properties. Although surface engineering has been widely applied to tune eCO<sub>2</sub>RR activity and selectivity, the electrolyte composition—especially alkali metal cation identity—has emerged as a critical factor governing catalytic performance. However, the atomic-level mechanism by which alkali metal cations regulate the eCO<sub>2</sub>RR on atomically precise silver NCs remains unclear. Herein, we combined first-principles simulations with electrochemical experiments to systematically investigate the cation effect on the eCO<sub>2</sub>RR over thiolate-protected Ag<sub>25</sub>(SR)<sub>18</sub> NCs. The simulation results show that the eCO<sub>2</sub>RR activity of Ag<sub>25</sub> NCs follows the order of Li<sup>+</sup> < Na<sup>+</sup> < Cs<sup>+</sup> ≤ K<sup>+</sup> in alkali cation electrolytes. The stronger promoting effect of K<sup>+</sup> is correlated to its more uniform interfacial water density. This cation-dependent activity trend, highlighting the pivotal role of cations in modulating electrocatalysis, is further verified by electrochemical measurements. Overall, this work provides atomic-scale insights into the cation-regulated eCO<sub>2</sub>RR mechanism and offers valuable guidance for designing high-efficiency electrocatalytic systems for CO<sub>2</sub> reduction.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":66,"journal":{"name":"Catalysis Science & Technology","volume":"16 11","pages":"Pages 3799-3807"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-06-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148196171","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}