It is imperative to address pressing environmental and energy challenges, and to that end, the fabrication of effective catalysts with exceptional activity, selectivity, and stability for electrocatalytic processes is crucial. Various electrocatalytic methods, such as hydrogen evolution, oxygen reduction, oxygen evolution, carbon dioxide reduction, and nitrogen reduction reactions, play central roles in overcoming these obstacles. In addition to being cost-effective, the unique structural configuration of single-atom catalysts (SACs) allows the maximum use of each atom and has garnered considerable interest. However, the simplicity of the SAC structure often leads to reduced metal content and elevated surface energy, thereby limiting its performance in real-life electrocatalytic applications, particularly those involving multi-step reactions. Thus, researchers have explored an array of designs for SACs that synergistically combine particles (including clusters) to enhance electrocatalytic performance with improved charge transfer and separation. This study comprehensively explores several synthetic strategies for SACs and highlights the synergistic effects achieved by combining SACs with particles, including clusters. Furthermore, it delves into the underlying mechanisms governing their interactions such as electron transfer, bifunctional effects, and tandem effects. Finally, particular issues that limit the efficiency of SACs are identified and possible suggestions are elucidated.

中文翻译：

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开辟新领域：利用金属簇和单原子增强电化学催化作用

必须解决紧迫的环境和能源挑战，为此，制造具有卓越活性、选择性和稳定性的电催化过程的有效催化剂至关重要。各种电催化方法，例如析氢、氧还原、析氧、二氧化碳还原和氮还原反应，在克服这些障碍方面发挥着核心作用。除了具有成本效益外，单原子催化剂（SAC）独特的结构配置可以最大限度地利用每个原子，并引起了人们的极大兴趣。然而，SAC结构的简单性通常会导致金属含量降低和表面能升高，从而限制了其在现实生活中电催化应用中的性能，特别是涉及多步反应的应用。因此，研究人员探索了一系列 SAC 设计，这些设计可以协同组合颗粒（包括团簇），通过改善电荷转移和分离来增强电催化性能。这项研究全面探索了 SAC 的几种合成策略，并强调了 SAC 与颗粒（包括团簇）相结合所实现的协同效应。此外，它还深入研究了控制它们相互作用的潜在机制，例如电子转移、双功能效应和串联效应。最后，确定了限制 SAC 效率的具体问题，并阐明了可能的建议。