Stable anchoring of single rhodium atoms by indium in zeolite alkane dehydrogenation catalysts. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38422151/)

These scientists wanted to find a way to make a special material called a single-atom catalyst more stable when it is used in very hot reactions. They discovered a clever method to keep the atoms in place by using a second metal to hold them in position inside tiny channels in a material called zeolite.

To show how well their idea worked, the scientists created a catalyst made of a single atom of rhodium and indium inside zeolite. They tested this catalyst in a reaction where a gas called propane is turned into another gas called propylene. They found that their catalyst was super stable and could keep working for a really long time without getting damaged.

Even when they made the reaction even hotter, the catalyst still worked really well, converting a lot of propane into propylene. This is a big deal because it could help make chemical reactions more efficient and better for the environment.

Zeng L., Cheng K., Sun F., Fan Q., Li L., Zhang Q., Wei Y., Zhou W., Kang J., Zhang Q., Chen M., Liu Q., Zhang L., Huang J., Cheng J., Jiang Z., Fu G., Wang Y. Stable anchoring of single rhodium atoms by indium in zeolite alkane dehydrogenation catalysts. Science. 2024 Mar;383(6686):998-1004. doi: 10.1126/science.adk5195. Epub 2024 Feb 29.