Current Research Trend and Future Research Trajectory of Single Atom Catalysis in Environmental Pollution Control: A Hybrid Approach

ABSTRACT Single‐atom catalysts (SACs) are increasingly popular due to several features, including isolated metal atoms, homogeneous functional sites, strong metal‐support interactions, and tunable coordination environments. In 2025, single‐atom catalysis was included in the IUPAC's top 10 emerging technologies. SACs are used in several branches of chemistry, including electrocatalysis, low‐temperature and low‐waste reactions, environmental pollution control, precision catalysis, and the replacement of nanoparticle catalysts. In this study, we have analyzed research trends and developments in SACs for environmental pollution control. Our hybrid approach combined bibliometric and AI‐model‐derived analyses. Bibliometric analysis has been performed focusing on articles, researchers, sources, universities, research institutes, and nations. Science mapping analysis has not been performed due to the inherent limitations of the dataset from the Scopus database. Burst keywords are analyzed to identify research hotspots. The latent topics in our dataset were derived using AI‐based models, and time‐series forecasting was performed on them. A thematic deep dive into the modeled topics has been provided, and the design guidelines for future SAC development have been analyzed. Overall, this study will provide a comprehensive understanding of the current state of research and prospects of single‐atom catalysis for environmental pollution control.