Single atom gold catalysts for low-temperature CO oxidation

Low-temperature CO oxidation is important for both fundamental studies and practical applications. Supported gold catalysts are generally regarded as the most active catalysts for low-temperature CO oxidation. The active sites are traditionally believed to be Au nanoclusters or nanoparticles in the size range of 0.5–5 nm. Only in the last few years have single-atom Au catalysts been proved to be active for CO oxidation. Recent advances in both experimental and theoretical studies on single-atom Au catalysts unambiguously demonstrated that when dispersed on suitable oxide supports the Au single atoms can be extremely active for CO oxidation. In this mini-review, recent advances in the development of Au single-atom catalysts are discussed, with the aim of illustrating their unique catalytic features during CO oxidation.