Single-atom catalysts for sustainable energy and environmental applications

Single-atom catalysts (SACs) have emerged as a frontier in heterogeneous catalysis, offering exceptional activity, selectivity, and atom efficiency through precise control of isolated active sites. This themed collection will showcase the most recent advances in SAC research, with an emphasis on their design, synthesis, and characterization, as well as the fundamental understanding of catalytic processes at the atomic scale.

We welcome contributions covering all aspects of SAC development, including innovative strategies for atom dispersion and stabilization, tailoring of coordination environments, and elucidation of metal–support interactions. Studies addressing SACs for electrochemical, photocatalytic, and thermocatalytic reactions—such as CO₂ reduction, water splitting, nitrogen fixation, and selective oxidation—are of particular interest. We also encourage submissions exploring dual-atom and hybrid catalyst systems, multifunctional SAC platforms, and integrated applications combining catalysis with energy storage, sensing, or pollutant remediation.

Research articles that provide mechanistic insights through advanced theoretical modeling and in situ/operando characterization techniques—including X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy—are highly encouraged. This collection aims to provide a forum for cutting-edge studies that not only expands the fundamental understanding of single-atom catalysis but also accelerate the translation of these materials toward practical, sustainable technologies.

Please note that this open call is open to primary research submissions only.

Submissions to the journal should fit within the scope of Journal of Materials Chemistry A – Please see the journal’s website for more information on the journal’s scope, standards, article types and author guidelines. All manuscripts will undergo the normal initial assessment and peer review processes, if appropriate, in line with the journal’s high standards, managed by the journal editors. Accepted manuscripts will be added to the online collection as soon as they are published and will feature in a regular issue of the relevant journal. Please note that peer review or acceptance is not guaranteed.

If you would like to contribute to this themed collection, please submit your article directly through the journal submissions platform. Please mention that your submission is a contribution to the Single-Atom Catalysts for Sustainable Energy and Environmental Applications collection in the “Themed issues” section of the submission form and is in response to the Open Call. The Editorial Office reserves the right to check the suitability of submissions in relation to the scope of both the journal and the collection, and as such, inclusion of accepted articles in the final themed collection is not guaranteed.

If you have any questions about the collection or the submissions process, please contact the editorial office and they will assist you.