journal article·2026-01

Artificial Intelligence Guided Single Atom Catalysts: From Precise Design to Industrial‐Grade Preparation

Ting Ying, Rui Zhu, Yao Wang, Yongfa Zhu

Advanced Functional Materials· Volume 36· Issue 5
Publisher page

Abstract

Abstract Single‐atom catalysts (SACs) have transformed heterogeneous catalysis via atomic‐level active site control, but bridging atomic‐scale design with structurally consistent, scalable manufacturing remains challenging. This review documents artificial intelligence (AI)‐driven advances in SACs research, covering rational design, dynamic characterization, and scalable synthesis. It highlights integrating physics‐based simulations with machine learning (ML) models. ML leverages coordination‐sensitive descriptors to predict catalytic performance and guide inverse design. Emerging techniques such as graph neural network (GNN) enhanced operando X‐ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) are featured, decoding real‐time atomic coordination dynamics. A closed‐loop “design‐validate‐manufacture” framework is discussed, integrating digital twins with autonomous robotic synthesis to ensure structural fidelity from models to industrial production and minimize coordination distortion during scaling. Addressing challenges like small data learning and industrial structural inconsistencies, the review proposes a unified framework for atomic precision manufacturing of SACs, outlining an intelligent roadmap for next‐generation energy and environmental applications.
Source: crossref · Quality: baseline

Research context

OpenAlex topics: Machine Learning in Materials Science · Catalytic Processes in Materials Science · Catalysis and Oxidation Reactions

SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.

Affiliations

Shanghai Yangzhi Rehabilitation Hospital (Shanghai Sunshine Rehabilitation Center) School of Medicine Tongji University Shanghai 200092 China

Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Biological Colloids Ministry of Education School of Chemical and Material Engineering Jiangnan University Wuxi 214122 China

Department of Chemistry Tsinghua University Beijing 100084 China

Funding

Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities · National Natural Science Foundation of China · Basic Research Program of Jiangsu Province

References (100+)

Show source-provided references
1. 10.1007/s12274-022-4265-y10.1007/s12274-022-4265-y ↗
2. 10.1002/aenm.20230088410.1002/aenm.202300884 ↗
3. 10.1007/s12274-024-6940-710.1007/s12274-024-6940-7 ↗
4. 10.1039/D4CS01031K10.1039/D4CS01031K ↗
5. 10.1021/accountsmr.2c0018310.1021/accountsmr.2c00183 ↗
6. 10.1021/acscatal.0c0550310.1021/acscatal.0c05503 ↗
7. 10.1016/j.scib.2025.01.04710.1016/j.scib.2025.01.047 ↗
8. 10.1021/jacs.4c0152410.1021/jacs.4c01524 ↗
9. 10.1021/acs.chemrev.0c0009410.1021/acs.chemrev.0c00094 ↗
10. 10.1021/acs.jpcc.3c0270510.1021/acs.jpcc.3c02705 ↗
11. 10.1021/acsomega.0c0599010.1021/acsomega.0c05990 ↗
12. 10.1039/D4TA02872D10.1039/D4TA02872D ↗
13. 10.1038/s41524-022-00879-410.1038/s41524-022-00879-4 ↗
14. 10.1021/acs.accounts.0c0067410.1021/acs.accounts.0c00674 ↗
15. 10.1002/anie.20231359910.1002/anie.202313599 ↗
16. 10.1002/adma.20240680710.1002/adma.202406807 ↗
17. 10.1039/D4CS01031K10.1039/D4CS01031K ↗
18. 10.1021/acsenergylett.0c0266510.1021/acsenergylett.0c02665 ↗
19. 10.1021/acscatal.1c0601510.1021/acscatal.1c06015 ↗
20. 10.1039/D0EE02833A10.1039/D0EE02833A ↗
21. 10.1002/smll.20220125510.1002/smll.202201255 ↗
22. 10.1002/adma.20230865310.1002/adma.202308653 ↗
23. 10.1016/j.jcis.2025.13728210.1016/j.jcis.2025.137282 ↗
24. 10.1016/j.apcatb.2021.12029010.1016/j.apcatb.2021.120290 ↗
25. 10.1016/j.apsusc.2022.15625610.1016/j.apsusc.2022.156256 ↗
26. 10.1007/s12274-021-3936-410.1007/s12274-021-3936-4 ↗
27. 10.1002/adfm.20211119310.1002/adfm.202111193 ↗
28. Lu Y. · J. Am. Chem. Soc. · 2024 · 146
29. 10.1021/acs.jpcb.8b0165010.1021/acs.jpcb.8b01650 ↗
30. 10.1021/acsami.3c1911910.1021/acsami.3c19119 ↗
31. 10.1002/anie.20231117410.1002/anie.202311174 ↗
32. 10.1016/j.apsusc.2022.15604910.1016/j.apsusc.2022.156049 ↗
33. 10.1038/s41524-024-01501-510.1038/s41524-024-01501-5 ↗
34. 10.1016/j.actamat.2025.12074810.1016/j.actamat.2025.120748 ↗
35. 10.1103/PhysRevB.104.06410510.1103/PhysRevB.104.064105 ↗
36. 10.1016/j.jcis.2024.06.17810.1016/j.jcis.2024.06.178 ↗
37. 10.1016/j.apsusc.2022.15493510.1016/j.apsusc.2022.154935 ↗
38. 10.1016/j.gee.2021.10.00310.1016/j.gee.2021.10.003 ↗
39. 10.1016/j.apcatb.2024.12489710.1016/j.apcatb.2024.124897 ↗
40. 10.1002/adfm.20242017010.1002/adfm.202420170 ↗
41. 10.1038/s41565-021-01022-y10.1038/s41565-021-01022-y ↗
42. 10.1007/s11426-021-1148-810.1007/s11426-021-1148-8 ↗
43. 10.1016/j.jcis.2025.13725510.1016/j.jcis.2025.137255 ↗
44. 10.1038/s41598-022-13878-810.1038/s41598-022-13878-8 ↗
45. 10.1016/j.isprsjprs.2023.10.01710.1016/j.isprsjprs.2023.10.017 ↗
46. 10.1021/acs.orglett.3c0128210.1021/acs.orglett.3c01282 ↗
47. 10.1016/j.jpowsour.2020.22860710.1016/j.jpowsour.2020.228607 ↗
48. 10.1002/anie.20240488410.1002/anie.202404884 ↗
49. 10.1016/j.fmre.2023.10.01210.1016/j.fmre.2023.10.012 ↗
50. 10.1021/acs.langmuir.2c0017610.1021/acs.langmuir.2c00176 ↗
51. Yu Q. · J. Mater. Inform. · 2025 · 5 · 9
52. 10.1021/jacs.3c0929910.1021/jacs.3c09299 ↗
53. 10.1038/s41467-021-22048-910.1038/s41467-021-22048-9 ↗
54. 10.1038/s41524-025-01567-910.1038/s41524-025-01567-9 ↗
55. 10.1038/s41467-023-43118-010.1038/s41467-023-43118-0 ↗
56. 10.1038/s41467-025-59053-110.1038/s41467-025-59053-1 ↗
57. 10.1021/acsenergylett.3c0018210.1021/acsenergylett.3c00182 ↗
58. 10.1002/eem2.1274310.1002/eem2.12743 ↗
59. 10.1016/j.cageo.2016.11.00810.1016/j.cageo.2016.11.008 ↗
60. 10.3390/electronics1207167010.3390/electronics12071670 ↗
61. 10.3390/app1317999210.3390/app13179992 ↗
62. 10.1039/D4CP01217H10.1039/D4CP01217H ↗
63. 10.1007/s10898-016-0427-310.1007/s10898-016-0427-3 ↗
64. 10.1016/j.eti.2024.10365210.1016/j.eti.2024.103652 ↗
65. 10.1016/j.jclepro.2025.14466610.1016/j.jclepro.2025.144666 ↗
66. 10.1021/acs.nanolett.2c0494410.1021/acs.nanolett.2c04944 ↗
67. 10.1039/D1TA05605K10.1039/D1TA05605K ↗
68. 10.1016/j.jechem.2024.09.01810.1016/j.jechem.2024.09.018 ↗
69. 10.1021/acs.jcim.3c0193810.1021/acs.jcim.3c01938 ↗
70. 10.1039/C9SC04026A10.1039/C9SC04026A ↗
71. 10.1021/acscatal.5c0046710.1021/acscatal.5c00467 ↗
72. Huang L. · Small Methods · 2024
73. 10.1002/eem2.1230410.1002/eem2.12304 ↗
74. 10.1016/j.jechem.2024.05.04210.1016/j.jechem.2024.05.042 ↗
75. 10.1038/s41467-024-44717-110.1038/s41467-024-44717-1 ↗
76. 10.1002/adfm.20220847410.1002/adfm.202208474 ↗
77. 10.1007/s12274-021-3964-010.1007/s12274-021-3964-0 ↗
78. 10.1021/jacs.2c0577910.1021/jacs.2c05779 ↗
79. 10.1021/acscatal.3c0194510.1021/acscatal.3c01945 ↗
80. 10.1021/acs.chemrev.3c0008110.1021/acs.chemrev.3c00081 ↗
81. 10.1016/j.ast.2021.10665210.1016/j.ast.2021.106652 ↗
82. 10.1021/jacs.2c1182410.1021/jacs.2c11824 ↗
83. 10.1021/acs.jpcc.3c0057110.1021/acs.jpcc.3c00571 ↗
84. 10.1021/acsami.3c0853510.1021/acsami.3c08535 ↗
85. 10.1021/acscatal.9b0421410.1021/acscatal.9b04214 ↗
86. 10.1021/acs.jcim.4c0072710.1021/acs.jcim.4c00727 ↗
87. 10.1021/acsomega.1c0638910.1021/acsomega.1c06389 ↗
88. 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.13335510.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.133355 ↗
89. 10.1126/sciadv.abq594410.1126/sciadv.abq5944 ↗
90. 10.1021/acsami.2c1939110.1021/acsami.2c19391 ↗
91. 10.1038/s41598-022-15586-910.1038/s41598-022-15586-9 ↗
92. 10.1007/s11044-023-09960-210.1007/s11044-023-09960-2 ↗
93. 10.1038/s41467-024-50531-610.1038/s41467-024-50531-6 ↗
94. 10.1021/jacs.1c0879410.1021/jacs.1c08794 ↗
95. 10.1021/acs.jpclett.3c0024210.1021/acs.jpclett.3c00242 ↗
96. 10.1007/s00607-022-01141-x10.1007/s00607-022-01141-x ↗
97. 10.1016/S1872-2067(21)63852-410.1016/S1872-2067(21)63852-4 ↗
98. 10.1002/anie.20241807410.1002/anie.202418074 ↗
99. 10.1038/s41929-023-01106-z10.1038/s41929-023-01106-z ↗
100. 10.1109/TEVC.2019.289574810.1109/TEVC.2019.2895748 ↗