Recent progress in heterogeneous interfacial catalysis

The core of heterogeneous catalysis lies in catalysts, whose catalytic performance is strongly dependent on surface composition and structure. The complexity and heterogeneity of solid material surfaces pose significant challenges in identifying catalytically active sites. This paper introduces a research approach centered on the precise construction and characterization of surface/interface structures in solid catalysts (primarily oxide nanocrystals), aimed at elucidating catalytic structure-performance relationships and mechanistic principles. The key advances achieved through this approach are summarized, including: establishing the concept of utilizing nanocrystal model catalysts (Cu2O and CeO2) to investigate metal-oxide interfacial catalysis; extending this concept to CO2 hydrogenation allows deciphering the fundamental nature of metal-oxide interfacial catalysis; the development of efficient metal-oxide catalysts for directional CO2 conversion is thereby guided and implemented based on these mechanistic insights. These findings not only offer fundamental strategies for elucidating complex surface-interface structures in heterogeneous catalytic systems, but also hold promise for pioneering controlled synthesis methodologies for novel catalysts, thereby expediting the development of next-generation high-efficiency catalysts.