The Role of Single-Atom Nanocatalysts in Enhancing Selectivity of Hydrogenation and Hydrocracking Reactions in the Oil and Gas Industry

Single-atom catalysts (SACS) have emerged as a transformative frontier in heterogeneous catalysis due to their maximized atomic utilization efficiency, uniform active sites, and tunable electronic structures. These unique characteristics position SACS as highly promising candidates for advancing catalytic processes in the oil and gas industry. This review critically examines recent progress in the design, synthesis, and mechanistic understanding of SACs, with a particular focus on enhancing activity and selectivity in hydrogenation and hydrocracking reactions relevant to refining operations. Fundamental stabilization strategies for isolated metal atoms on various supports—including zeolites, defect-engineered carbon materials, and metal-organic frameworks—are discussed in detail. The structure-performance relationships governing catalytic behavior are analyzed, emphasizing metal-support interactions, coordination environment modulation, and defect engineering as key parameters in controlling reaction pathways and suppressing undesired side reactions such as coke formation and overcracking. Furthermore, the integration of single-atom catalytic systems with advanced adsorptive materials is explored as a strategy to improve mass transfer, enhance reactant activation, and enable reaction-separation coupling. Critical challenges including thermal stability under harsh hydroprocessing conditions, resistance to sintering, scalability, and economic feasibility are also evaluated. Finally, emerging trends such as data-driven catalyst design and hybrid catalytic-adsorptive platforms are highlighted to outline future directions toward low-carbon, energy-efficient refining technologies. This review demonstrates that the rational molecular-level engineering of single-atom catalysts, combined with process-oriented design strategies, offers a viable pathway toward next-generation green catalytic technologies in the oil and gas sector.

کلیدواژه ها:

Single-atom catalysts (SACs) ، hydrogenation ، hydrocracking ، oil and gas refining ، heterogeneous catalysis ، metal-support interactions ، defect engineering