Quasi-continuous synthesis of iron single atom catalysts via a microcapsule pyrolysis strategy

Single atom catalysts (SACs), featured with atomically dispersed metal species, have been considered as one of the most promising catalytic materials because of the excellent performance in various high-value-added reactions. However, the large-scale and continuous-type production of such SACs is still challenging. Herein, a novel and facile microcapsule strategy for the quasi-continuous synthesis of iron SACs supported on S, N co-doped carbon (Fe/SNC) is developed, and the Fe species are presented as isolated active sites and stabilized as the FeN3S-like structure. The as-prepared Fe/SNC catalysts exhibit excellent catalytic properties for selective oxidation of arylalkanes, which followed pseudo-first-order kinetics with an E-a = 41.5 kJ/mol. More importantly, the two Fe/SNC catalysts synthesized at different continuous times showed essentially identical catalyst structure and catalytic performance, demonstrating the superior reliability of our microcapsule strategy for the quasi-continuous production of SACs, which can be easily scaled up to industrial application.

Automated summary

Single atom catalysts (SACs), known for their excellent performance, still face challenges in large-scale production. A novel microcapsule strategy for quasi-continuous synthesis of iron SACs has been developed, showing promise for industrial application.