Design and Characterization of ALD-Based Overcoats for Supported Metal Nanoparticle Catalysts

Supported
metal nanoparticle (SMN) catalysts are enormously crucial
for many catalytic applications. However, catalyst deactivation, caused
by sintering and coke formation, is a ubiquitous problem that significantly
undermines catalytic processing economics. The application of material
overcoating onto supported metal nanoparticles by atomic layer deposition
(ALD) offers the solution to inhibit catalyst deactivation. Herein,
we discuss examples in which ALD has been used to stabilize SMN catalysts
in gaseous and aqueous-phase reactions. We highlight the ALD tools
and methods in coating high-surface-area catalysts. Besides, various
techniques are introduced to understand better how to characterize
the overcoating layer and the catalyst itself. Finally, the outlook
for new techniques to characterize the ALD overcoated catalytic materials
is discussed.