Phase-interface-anchored cadmium single-atom catalysts for efficient methanol steam reforming

Employing interface engineering to design innovative single-atom catalysts (SACs) for effective methanol steam reforming (MSR) presents an attractive yet formidable challenge. Herein, we report phase-interface confined Cd/P25 SACs, where Cd atoms are stably anchored at the phase interface between anatase (101) and rutile (110) facets. The formed Cd-O-Ti phase interface sites exhibit asymmetric geometric and electronic properties that achieve 100% methanol conversion, minimal CO selectivity (<0.1%), and sustained stability exceeding 150 hours. The H2 production rate at these interface sites was approximately 15-fold and 8-fold higher than that of anatase and rutile surface sites, respectively. Enhancing the phase interface density through atmosphere pretreatment can further increase the H2 production rate by an additional 11%. Furthermore, these powder SACs can be 3D printed into kilogram-scale monolithic catalysts, advancing practical in-situ hydrogen generation applications. We anticipate that the strategy presented here will be instrumental in the design of novel SACs and in advancing the application of MSR.