Single-Atom Catalysts Designed and Prepared by the Atomic Layer Deposition Technique

The atomic layer deposition (ALD) technique allows the synthesis of materials at the atomic scale to be controlled. ALD has been adapted to design and prepare single-atom catalysts (SACs) with atomic-level control. The major aim of this Review is to systematize our knowledge of the synthesis of SACs by ALD and thus help the reader to extract fundamental principles for the further development of this field. Studies of metal dimers prepared by ALD are also explored. In addition, we describe the fundamental mechanism of ALD, discuss the effects of size, shape, and metal–support interactions for catalysts, and summarize the characterization techniques and preparation methods of SACs. At the end of this Review, we present an outlook of the challenges and opportunities of the synthesis of SACs by ALD.