Abstract
Supported noble metal catalysts are extensively used in industry and their catalytic performance is strongly affected by particle size and shape. In the last decade, supported single atoms and subnanometer clusters have attracted a lot of interest since they maximize the metal utilization and have shown extraordinary catalytic properties for many reactions. In this talk, I will present my group’s work using detailed kinetics, in-situ and in-operando infrared and x-ray absorption spectroscopies to understand the dynamics, both structural and ligand, of supported metal single atoms and small clusters which result in complex reaction mechanisms. The differences between supported single atoms, small clusters and extended metal surfaces as well as their potential advantages and limitations will be discussed.