By analogy to mono-nuclear metalloenzymes , single-atom dispersed catalysts (SACs) demonstrate very promising performance for many conventional heterogeneous and homogeneous reactions. However, the prospect of integrating SACs with enzymatic catalysis is still unexplored. Herein, atomically dispersed Co sites on ultrathin two-dimensional (2D) carbon nitride nanosheets (Co 1 /C 3 N 4 ) were constructed and applied for efficiently photochemical cofactor (NADH) regeneration. The NADH regeneration yield reached as high as 99%. Subsequently, the in-situ regenerated-NADH triggered alcohol dehydrogenase for enzymatic reduction of aldehyde where 100% alcohol yield was achieved. Using atomic spectroscopy characterization and theoretical calculation, the genuine active sites of Co 1 /C 3 N 4 catalyst in reaction system were revealed in the form of CoN 3 - Cp* moieties ( Cp* , 1,2,3,4,5-pentamethylcyclopentadiene). Such a well-defined atomic catalyst opens a new avenue for the organic transformation application of single-atom catalysts in enzyme catalysis.
Wang Xiuyun,Peng Xuanbei,Chen Wei,Liu Guangyong,Zheng Anmin,Zheng Lirong,Ni Jun,Au Chak-tong,Jiang Lilong
The industrial synthesis of ammonia (NH 3 ) using iron-based Haber-Bosch catalyst requires harsh reaction conditions. Developing advanced catalysts that perform well at mild conditions (<400 °C, <2 MPa) for industrial application is a long-term goal. Here we report a Co-N-C catalyst with high NH 3 synthesis rate that simultaneously exhibits dynamic and steady-state active sites. Our studies demonstrate that the atomically dispersed cobalt weakly coordinated with pyridine N reacts with surface H 2 to produce NH 3 via a chemical looping pathway. Pyrrolic N serves as an anchor to stabilize the single cobalt atom in the form of Co 1 -N 3.5 that facilitates N 2 adsorption and step-by-step hydrogenation of N 2 to *HNNH, *NH-NH 3 and *NH 2 -NH 4 . Finally, NH 3 is facilely generated via the breaking of the *NH 2 -NH 4 bond. With the co-existence of dynamic and steady-state single atom active sites, the Co-N-C catalyst circumvents the bottleneck of N 2 dissociation, making the synthesis of NH 3 at mild conditions possible.