Single atom catalysts for sensors

With the advancement of nanocatalysts, the emergence of single atom catalysts (SACs) has become increasingly prevalent. SACs possess high similarities to natural enzymes, providing them with great potential for development of various sensors and biosensors. By manipulating the coordination environment and interactions between individual metal ions and the support, well-defined active sites with enhanced catalytic activity, selectivity, and stability can be achieved. Through the rational engineering of supports based on composition, size, and surface chemistry, SACs are able to adapt to complex environments and demonstrate different structure-activity relationships. In the field of sensing, SACs have emerged as possible substitutes for natural enzymes. This review provides an overview of SACs on different solid supports, with a focus on their sensing applications in biomedical, environmental monitoring, and food safety assays. The challenges and future prospects for SACs in diverse sensing applications are also discussed.