Cover Feature: Continuous Flow Single‐Atom Catalysis: A Viable Organic Process Technology? (ChemCatChem 21/2022)

Abstract

The Cover Feature shows a flow reactor employing a single-atom catalyst schematically represented. In their Perspective, M. Pagliaro, C. Della Pina and R. Ciriminna try to answer the question: “Is single-atom catalysis under continuous flow conditions a technically and economically viable organic process technology?” Early results actually suggest valuable insight en route to its industrial uptake in the production of fine and specialty chemicals. Reviewing selected examples of the first utilization of single-atom catalysts (SACs) under continuous-flow conditions, the authors provide evidence that SACs are not different from state-of-the-art supported metal nanoparticle catalysts in affording significantly higher TOFs than the same catalysts in batch reactor conversions. Furthermore, continuous flow conditions enhance the lot-to-lot consistency and dramatically lowers production time thug improving customer delivery. More information can be found in the Perspective by M. Pagliaro, C. Della Pina and R. Ciriminna.