Single-Site Au/Carbon Catalysts with Single-Atom and Au Nanoparticles for Acetylene Hydrochlorination

Single-site cationic Au supported on carbon (Au SAs/AC) has been identified as the active site for acetylene hydrochlorination, and single-site cationic Au tends to sinter into devitalized particles during a reaction. Many efforts have been devoted to the preparation and stabilization of the Au SAs. Herein, we report an unexpected phenomenon that the Au SAs can be dynamically created from Au nanoparticles during the acetylene hydrochlorination reaction, and the single-site cationic Au sites can be stabilized by the defective carbon support. The dynamic formation and stabilization of single gold atoms under realistic conditions provide a new strategy for the design of stable Au-based acetylene hydrochlorination catalysts.