Single-atom catalysts (SACs), particularly nitrogen-doped carbon-supported metal catalysts (M-N-C), have emerged as promising alternatives to noble metals for catalytic hydrogenation. However, their industrial application is often hindered by mass transfer limitations; active sites buried deep within tortuous porous networks remain inaccessible to bulky reactant molecules, severely limiting catalytic efficiency. While previous research has focused on increasing pore size or surface area, the impact of pore orientation on performance has remained largely unexplored.
A research team led by Prof. Liqiang Wang from Zhengzhou University has now shed light on this critical factor. In a study published in Nano Research , the team systematically investigated how pore orientation influences the hydrogenation of para-chloronitrobenzene (p-CNB) using cobalt single-atom catalysts. The researchers synthesized two types of catalysts using a hard-template method: one with oriented, straight pores (Co-SAC/OPC) derived from SBA-15, and another with non-oriented, distinct pore networks (Co-SAC/NOPC) derived from MCM-48. Despite having similar chemical compositions and single-atom dispersion, the catalyst with oriented pores exhibited a catalytic activity approximately three times higher than its non-oriented counterpart. "Rational control of pore orientation holds great potential to enhance mass transfer in carbon-supported single-atom catalysts, thereby increasing single-atom site utilization," said Prof. Wang. "Our results show that oriented pores facilitate diffusion more effectively, preventing the 'traffic jams' of molecules that occur in disordered pore networks. "To validate their findings, the team combined experimental kinetics—such as diffusion tests and substrate size-dependent conversion analysis—with finite-element simulations using COMSOL software. The simulations visually confirmed that particles diffuse smoothly through oriented channels, whereas non-oriented structures cause significant accumulation and blockage, limiting the access to active sites. This work establishes a general strategy for enhancing the performance of carbon-supported single-atom catalysts. By optimizing pore orientation alongside traditional parameters like pore size, researchers can design more efficient and durable catalysts for hydrogenation and related reactions.
The research team includes Yangyang Fan, Jianfei Dang, Miao Jin, and Liqiang Wang from Zhengzhou University, alongside collaborators Kaiwei Liu from the Shanghai Space Propulsion Technology Research Institute and Yajing Han from the Henan University of Technology. The work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the Excellent Young Scientists Fund of Henan Province.
D OI Link:
https://doi.org/10.26599/NR.2026.94908540
About Nano Research
Nano Research is a peer-reviewed, open access, international and interdisciplinary research journal, sponsored by Tsinghua University and the Chinese Chemical Society, published by Tsinghua University Press on the platform SciOpen. It publishes original high-quality research and significant review articles on all aspects of nanoscience and nanotechnology, ranging from basic aspects of the science of nanoscale materials to practical applications of such materials. After 18 years of development, it has become one of the most influential academic journals in the nano field. Nano Research has published more than 1,000 papers every year from 2022, with its cumulative count surpassing 8,000 articles. In 2025 InCites Journal Citation Reports, its 2025 IF is 9.4 (8.3, 5 years), and it continues to be the Q1 area among the four subject classifications. Nano Research Award, established by Nano Research together with TUP and Springer Nature in 2013, and Nano Research Young Innovators (NR45) Awards, established by Nano Research in 2018, have become international academic awards with global influence.
Nano Research
Shedding light on the effect of pore orientation on hydrogenation over carbon-supported single-atom catalysts
28-May-2026