Single-atom catalysts (SACs) are materials composed of individual metal atoms dispersed on a substrate, showing promise in energy conversion and storage applications like fuel cells and water electrolyzers.

Despite their benefits, SACs face limitations such as restricted loading capacity on substrates, leading to reduced catalytic performance. Researchers are exploring new materials to host more SACs without cluster formation, allowing for the creation of dual-atom catalysts (DACs) to enhance catalytic efficiency.

A recent study published in Nature Nanotechnology by the National University of Singapore revealed that MoS₂ could be a suitable substrate for SACs and DACs. By selectively removing sulfur atoms through electrochemical desulfurization, vacancy-rich domains in MoS₂ enabled high metal atom loading.

Researchers introduced a novel approach to load more SACs on MoS₂ and facilitate DAC formation using electrochemical desulfurization. This method enabled the reversible shift from SAC to DAC configurations on the MoS₂ substrate through the application of an electrical field.

By leveraging operando X-ray absorption spectroscopy and high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy, the team successfully demonstrated the reversible generation of heterogeneous DACs driven by an electric field.

This study opens new possibilities for dynamically forming DACs under electric fields, offering insights into enhancing catalytic efficiency in various reactions.