Strong Metal-support Interaction Research Articles

Controlling Metal-Support Interactions to Engineer Highly Active and Stable Catalysts for COx Hydrogenation.

This perspective focuses on the modulation of metal-support interaction (MSI) in catalysts for COx hydrogenation, highlighting their profound impact on catalytic performance. Firstly, it outlines different strategies, including the use of highly reducible oxides and moderate reduction treatments, which induce the classical strong metal-support interaction (SMSI) effect and the electronic metal-support interaction (EMSI) effect. Morphology engineering and crystalline phase manipulation of oxides presented as effective methods to control EMSI are also discussed. The discrimination of SMSI and EMSI can be achieved using oxides with low encapsulation tendencies, such as ZrO2, which supports electronic modifications without or minimizing the overgrowth issues, optimizing the catalytic performance for methanation. Then, the synergy between Cu and ZnO in methanol synthesis, enhanced by SMSI, is emphasized inside. Optimizing support oxides to control oxygen vacancies enhances the catalytic performance of CO2 hydrogenation to methanol. Perspectives for the future research on the fundamental understanding of structure-MSI-performance relationship for catalyst design is discussed.

Bimetallic NiCo Nanoparticles Embedded in Organic Group Functionalized Mesoporous Silica for Efficient Hydrogen Production from Ammonia Borane Hydrolysis

In this study, bimetallic NiCo nanoparticles (NPs) were encapsulated within the mesopores of carboxylic acid functionalized mesoporous silica (CMS) through the chemical reduction approach. Both NaBH4 and NH3BH3 were used as reducing agents to reduce the metal ions simultaneously. The resulting composite was used as a catalyst for hydrolysis of ammonia borane (NH3BH3, AB) to produce H2. The bimetallic NiCo NPs supported on carboxylic group functionalized mesoporous silica, referred to as NixCo100−x@CMS, exhibited significantly higher catalytic activity for AB hydrolysis compared to their monometallic counterparts. The remarkable activity of NixCo100−x@CMS could be ascribed to the synergistic contributions of Ni and Co, redox reaction during the hydrolysis, and the fine-tuned electronic structure. The catalytic performance of the NixCo100−x@CMS nanocatalyst was observed to be dependent on the composition of Ni and Co. Among all the compositions investigated, Ni40Co60@CMS demonstrated the highest catalytic activity, with a turn over frequency (TOF) of 18.95 molH2min−1molcatalyst−1 and H2 production rate of 8.0 L min−1g−1. The activity of Ni40Co60@CMS was approximately three times greater than that of Ni@CMS and about two times that of Co@CMS. The superior activity of Ni40Co60@CMS was attributed to its finely-tuned electronic structure, resulting from the electron transfer of Ni to Co. Furthermore, the nanocatalyst exhibited excellent durability, as the carboxylate group in the support provided a strong metal–support interaction, securely anchoring the NPs within the mesopores, preventing both agglomeration and leakage.

Synergistic Electronic Interaction in PdCu Alloy/TiO2-NSs for Ambient Efficient Dehydrogenation of Formic Acid.

Palladium-based catalysts are remarkable in endorsing hydrogen (H2) generation through formic acid (HCOOH, FA) dehydrogenation under near-ambient conditions. Hydrogen energy efficiency depends on high-performance catalyst design. In this study, Pd-Cu nanoalloy catalysts with mutable atomic ratios are successfully fabricated on TiO2 nanosheets (TiO2-NSs).The synergistic electronic interactions between Palladium (Pd) and copper (Cu) are revealed through a density of states (DOS) analysis of alloy supported over a mixed valence state of Ti linked to oxygen vacancies (Vo) in TiO2-NSs, Enhanced adsorption of target molecules reveals novel active sites for Formic acid dehydrogenation (FAD), with O─H bond cleavage via HCOO formate intermediate preceding C─H and C─O bond cleavage. Experimental and theoretical research demonstrates that the Pd-Cu/TiO2-NSs (3:7) catalyst d electron redistribution and d-band center shift lower the activation energy for O─H bond cleavage, exhibit superior H2 production than pure Pd and Cu, increasing Pd electron density due to synergistic effects from reactive crystal facets, defects, and strong metal support interactions (SMSI), lowering the activation energy for HCOOH dissociation step, generating carbon dioxide (CO2) and H2 with a unprecedented high turnover frequency (TOF) of 6268 molH2.h-1.molPd-1 at 303K with activation energy (Ea) of 15 KJ mol-1. This attempt models an efficient HCOOH-to-hydrogen catalyst.

Atomically Dispersed Ru Species Induced by Strong Metal-Support Interaction for Electrochemical Methane Reforming.

During the high-temperature oxygen evolution reaction for CO2 electrolysis in solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs), the key elementary process of O2- transfer is restricted by the high anodic oxygen pressure thermodynamically, thus requiring a high external voltage [open-circuit voltage (OCV)] to drive the electrolysis reaction. Herein, electrochemical CH4 reforming is introduced to the SOEC anode, which remarkably lowers the anodic oxygen pressure and OCV, finally reducing the energy demand from 3.12 to 0.11 kW h per cubic meter of CO. Meanwhile, atomically dispersed Ru species is anchored on the anode surface due to the strong metal-support interaction, which exhibits superior CH4 reforming activity (90% of CO selectivity) and stability (300 h) to the infiltrated Ru nanoparticles and doped Ru species in the bulk lattice at 600 °C. This work proposes an efficient strategy to boost the SOEC performance thermodynamically and produce value-added chemicals at both the cathode and anode of SOEC simultaneously.

Non-noble Co supported on Beta framework for hydrogenolysis of biomass-derived 5-hydroxymethylfurfural to renewable biofuel 2,5-dimethylfuran

Selective transformation of biomass platform molecule 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) into biofuel 2,5-dimethylfuran (DMF) through hydrogenolysis path has attracted significant attention in the field of biomass catalytic conversion. In general, this process required supported noble catalysts under elevated temperature (423-533 K) and enough H2 pressure (1-4 MPa). Herein, Co/Beta-DA catalysts with various Co loadings of 5-20 wt% were post-synthesized through wet impregnation. Benefiting from the relatively open channel systems and strong metal-support interactions, the obtained 10Co/Beta-DA with ∼10 wt% Co contents facilitated the hydrogenation of C=O bonds and the cleavage of C-O bonds, which was efficient for the selective hydrogenolysis from HMF to DMF (Conv.HMF ≥ 99.9%, Sel.DMF ≥ 99.9%) under mild reaction conditions (H2 pressure, 1.0 MPa; temp., 423 K; time, 3 h). The innovative strategy of designing and preparing rational non-noble impregnated zeolite provided brand-new perspectives to solve the problems of high cost and harsh reaction conditions in the HMF hydrogenolysis process, which has the potential to convert biomass into renewable liquid fuels.

Unveiling the Role of Strong Metal-Support Interactions in Gold-Catalyzed CO Oxidation on MnO2 Polymorphs.

The effectiveness of gold (Au)-based catalysts in CO oxidation is significantly influenced by strong metal-support interactions with surface oxygen structures, the mechanisms of which remain elusive. To investigate this property, we selected γ-MnO2, featuring Mn(-O-)2Mn and Mn-O-Mn structural motifs, and β-MnO2, characterized by Mn-O-Mn linkages, as support materials. The CO oxidation process was investigated by fabricating Au nanoparticles supported on these two MnO2 polymorphs. Our findings reveal that Au supported on β-MnO2 substantially enhanced CO oxidation, in stark contrast to the inhibitory effect observed with Au on γ-MnO2. Using operando diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy coupled with mass spectrometry, we detected an increase in the production of surface-adsorbed oxygen following Au deposition on β-MnO2. Conversely, Au supported on γ-MnO2 resulted in a diminished capacity for surface oxygen adsorption. The presence of Au+ and Mn2+ ions was identified as pivotal for CO oxidation. Moreover, the engagement of the Mn(-O-)2Mn structure in the reaction was impaired after Au loading on γ-MnO2, and the regeneration of the Mn-O-Mn linkage was similarly hindered. We propose a mechanism for the interactions between Au and the oxygen species associated with Mn(-O-)2Mn and Mn-O-Mn structures on MnO2, offering insights into the divergent catalytic behaviors exhibited by different MnO2 polymorphs.

A systematic study on Au-PDA@Fe3O4 core-shell catalysts for enhanced catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol

The development of nanogold catalysts with high activity and high stability is of great significance for their industrial applications. In this paper, Au-PDA@Fe3O4 catalysts were prepared through the gold sol adsorption method. First, micron-sized magnetic Fe3O4 spheres were synthesized via a solvothermal method, serving as the core to endow the catalyst with excellent recyclability. Subsequently, a layer of polydopamine (PDA) shell was polymerized on the magnetic core surface. By controlling the timing of introducing the gold sol containing Au nanoparticles (NPs), the spatial position of Au NPs within the PDA layer was regulated, leading to a series of magnetic core-shell nano gold catalysts with varying spatial positions of Au. Using the 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) hydrogenation as the probe, the influence of Au spatial position, Au size, and other conditions on the catalytic performance was investigated. Results showed that, in the prepared Au-PDA@Fe3O4-16 catalyst, the Au NPs are encapsulated within the PDA shell and positioned close to the outer layer. This not only provides remarkable stability to the Au NPs but also maintains their proximity to the surface of the PDA shell, allowing easier access of the substrate 4-NP to the Au NPs and conferring good reactivity upon the catalyst. The strong electron metal-support interaction between PDA and Au enables PDA to effectively stabilize Au NPs. The prepared Au-PDA@Fe3O4-16 catalyst exhibits excellent stability, maintaining a high conversion rate of 91% even after 14 cycles of use. Our findings not only deepen the understanding of the catalytic mechanisms involved but also pave the path towards the creation of highly efficient and robust gold-based catalysts, facilitating their widespread utilization in industrial applications.

Strong Metal-Support Interaction Induced Excellent Performance for Photo-thermal Catalysis Methane Dry Reforming over Ru-Cluster-Ceria Catalyst

Strong Metal-Support Interaction Induced Excellent Performance for Photo-thermal Catalysis Methane Dry Reforming over Ru-Cluster-Ceria Catalyst

Upcycling CO2 and bio-derived furan into degradable plastic monomer via coupling of photocatalysis and thermocatalysis

Coupling of CO2 with biomass-derived molecules into degradable plastic monomer provides a promising strategy to address the increasing problems of carbon recycle and carbon neutrality. Herein, we develop a sustainable route to produce 6-hydroxycaproate (6-HMC) by coupling photocatalytic carboxylation of biomass-derived furfuryl alcohol with CO2 to 2-furanacetic acid (FA), and the thermocatalytic hydrogenolysis of methyl 2-tetrahydrofuranyl acetate (MTFA) derived from FA, wherein Pd/CeO2 exhibit the highest productivity of 6-HMC (505 mmol6-HMC mmol-1metal h−1), much higher than its counterparts of precious- and non-precious-metal catalysts. Moreover, Pd/CeO2 also presents good stability for 6 recycles without remarkable decrease in 6-HMC yield. Systematic experiments and computational studies suggest that higher concentration of oxygen vacancies and strong metal-support interactions account for enhanced catalytic performance of Pd/CeO2. The work employs CO2 and lignocellulosic-derived platform molecule as feedstocks to produce valuable degradable plastic monomer, providing a promising route to access pure-CO2 originated high-carbon oxygen-containing compounds.

Mofs-derived transition metal carbon-based compounds supported Au-Pt catalyst for the catalytic oxidation of glycerol to glyceric acid

Accurately controlling the directional activation of the primary and secondary hydroxyls and preventing the deep oxidation of oxygen-containing functional groups and the degree of C–C cleavage is still a great challenge for the selective oxidation of glycerol to glyceric acid. Hence, a series of bimetallic Au-Pt/MxOyCz catalysts (M = Cu, Co, Ce, Mn, Ni, Zn, Zr) were prepared using MOFs-derived transition metal carbon-based compounds as the support. These catalysts were utilized for glycerol catalytic oxidation to glyceric acid under basic conditions. The experimental date indicated that the type of transition metal makes a big difference on the conversion of glycerol and the selectivity of glyceric acid under the mild condition of 60 ℃. Among them, the Mn-modified carbon-based compound supported Au-Pt/MnxOyCz catalyst has the best catalytic activity. After reaction for 2 h, the conversion of glycerol could reach 100 %, and the selectivity of glyceric acid could reach 57.3 %. The reason for the best activity of the Au-Pt/MnxOyCz catalyst is that the particle size of active molecules is small, and the strong metal-support interaction produces more active sites. Specifically, Au-Pt/MnxOyCz catalyst forms an Au-Pt alloy, and the synergy between alloyed Au-Pt and Mn&+ enhances the acidity of the catalyst, causing it to produce the most acidic sites and promoting the dispersion of metal nanoparticles. The strong basic site of the catalyst can promote Au-Pt electron transfer, which in turn changes the reducing properties of Au-Pt and enriches the oxygen vacancies of the catalyst. Therefore, the synergistic interaction between the acidic sites and strong basic sites promotes the activation of Au-Pt, which in turn promotes the reduction of Mn-based oxides and the activation and migration of oxygen. This work will offer some new recommendations for the development of MOFs-derived transition metal-based catalysts for the catalytic oxidation of bio-polyols under mild conditions.

Strong Metal–Support Interaction Induces Dual Reaction Sites for Ultrasensitive and Stable NO2 Detection in Extreme Environments

AbstractThe tripartite combination of a high density and stability of surface reaction sites, complemented by the longevity and efficient transfer of interface carriers, along with the effective adsorption and activation of target gas molecules, jointly determines the efficiency of chemiresistors. In this work, the strong metal–support interaction (SMSI) of Pt─Ce3+ is formed by the NaBH4 reduction method and thus prepares metal‐dynamically stable PtNR─CeO2 with Pt─Ce3+ and Pt─Pt reaction sites. The formation of SMSI induces the recombination of the chemical structure of the CeO2 surface causing the localization of electron‐rich Ce3+, which greatly increases the charge concentration at the interface. The experimental findings of the strong interaction of Pt─Ce3+ bonding and the catalytic effect of Pt optimized the adsorption mode of PtNR─CeO2 on target gas, which maintains stable catalytic activity at 20–500 °C and achieving a notable detection response value of 1.43 for 20 ppb NO2. This work offers fresh insights into designing stable oxide chemiresistors with efficiency and stability by customizing reaction sites at the atomic level.

Strong Metal-Support Interaction between Pt and TiO2 over High-temperature CO2 Hydrogenation.

The catalytic activities and stability of oxide-supported metal catalysts are significantly affected by metal-support interactions (MSI) between oxidic supports and supported metals. The surface properties of the support, such as its phase and defects, are crucial in MSI, including both the strong metal-support interaction (SMSI) and electronic metal-support interaction (EMSI). In this study, modulation of SMSI was achieved on rutile-supported Pt nanoparticles (NP) over high-temperature CO2 hydrogenation. The encapsulation of Pt NP surfaces with TiO2-x overlayers is precisely controlled by the defects. It is found that oxygen vacancy defects significantly enhance the catalytic stability of Pt/rutile under high-temperature reverse water-gas shift (RWGS) reaction by inhibiting the occurrence of SMSI. Pt/rutile with oxygen vacancies achieves a 301 molCO×gM-1×h-1 space time yield and considerably catalytic stability (decreased by 8%) at 800 °C over 100 h time-on-stream. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations suggest that the adsorption capacity of Pt NP on the rutile overlayer can be reduced by increasing electron density. Experimental results combined with DFT calculations show that electron transfer from Pt NP to rutile is reduced by the oxygen vacancy defects on Pt/R, preserving the metallic nature of Pt species during CO2 hydrogenation, thereby preventing the formation of SMSI.

Strong Metal‐Support Interaction between Pt and TiO2 over High‐temperature CO2 Hydrogenation

The catalytic activities and stability of oxide‐supported metal catalysts are significantly affected by metal‐support interactions (MSI) between oxidic supports and supported metals. The surface properties of the support, such as its phase and defects, are crucial in MSI, including both the strong metal‐support interaction (SMSI) and electronic metal‐support interaction (EMSI). In this study, modulation of SMSI was achieved on rutile‐supported Pt nanoparticles (NP) over high‐temperature CO2 hydrogenation. The encapsulation of Pt NP surfaces with TiO2−x overlayers is precisely controlled by the defects. It is found that oxygen vacancy defects significantly enhance the catalytic stability of Pt/rutile under high‐temperature reverse water‐gas shift (RWGS) reaction by inhibiting the occurrence of SMSI. Pt/rutile with oxygen vacancies achieves a 301 molCO×gM‐1×h‐1 space time yield and considerably catalytic stability (decreased by 8%) at 800 °C over 100 h time‐on‐stream. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations suggest that the adsorption capacity of Pt NP on the rutile overlayer can be reduced by increasing electron density. Experimental results combined with DFT calculations show that electron transfer from Pt NP to rutile is reduced by the oxygen vacancy defects on Pt/R, preserving the metallic nature of Pt species during CO2 hydrogenation, thereby preventing the formation of SMSI.

Recent Advances in Engineering Fe-N-C Catalysts for Oxygen Electrocatalysis in Zn-Air Batteries.

Fe-N-C single-atom catalysts (SACs) have emerged as one of the most promising candidates for oxygen electrocatalysis due to their maximized atom utilization efficiency, high intrinsic activity, and strong metal-support interaction. Significant progress has been made in engineering Fe-N-C SACs for oxygen electrocatalysis in Zn-air batteries (ZABs). This review provides a comprehensive overview of the recent advancements in Fe-N-C SACs, with a special focus on effective engineering strategies, their performance in oxygen electrocatalysis, and their potential applications in ZABs. The review also discusses the key challenges and future directions in the development of Fe-N-C SACs for efficient and durable oxygen electrocatalysis in ZABs. This review aims to offer valuable insights into the current state of research in this field and to guide future efforts in the development of advanced oxygen electrocatalysts for ZABs.

Coupling CoIr Nanoalloys with MXene by Lewis Acidic Molten Salt Etching for Wide-pH-Environment Hydrogen Evolution Reaction.

Metal/MXene-based materials show broad prospects in energy conversation through the strong metal-support interaction (SMSI). However, the difficulty and harshness of synthesis heavily limit their further application. Herein, using Lewis acidic molten salt to etch MAX as a precursor of MXene, a more convenient and safer strategy is designed to in situ construct the MXene-supported CoIr nanoalloy (CoIr/MXene) catalyst through Ti─O─M bond. The special layered structure and oxygen-containing functional group of MXene regulate the SMSI upon CoIr nanoalloys. Moreover, the contact angle and in situ Raman test results exhibit good interface hydrophilicity of MXene, enhancing the water adsorption on interfaces, and accelerating the mass transfer process. As a result, CoIr/MXene shows high hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) performance, which only needs overpotentials of 34 and 50mV to drive a current density of 10mA cm-2 in alkaline and acidic media, respectively, with excellent stability. Especially, in alkaline media, CoIr/MXene possesses 6 times higher HER mass activity (4.297 A mgIr -1) than commercial Pt/C catalysts (0.686 A mgPt -1) at the potential of 50mV, indicating larger active site density and intrinsic activity for CoIr/MXene. This work expands the application of the molten salt assist etching strategy and provides new insight for the development of metal/MXene-based catalysts.

Strong Metal-Support Interactions in Heterogeneous Oxygen Electrocatalysis.

Molecular oxygen redox electrocatalysis involves oxygen reduction and evolution as core reactions in various energy conversion and environmental technology fields. Strong metal-support interactions (SMSIs) based nanomaterials are regarded as desirable and state-of-the-art heterogeneous electrocatalysts due to their exceptional physicochemical properties. Over the past decades, considerable advancements in theory and experiment have been achieved in related studies, especially in modulating the electronic structure and geometrical configuration of SMSIs to enable activity, selectivity, and stability. In this focuses on the concept of SMSI, explore their various manifestations and mechanisms of action, and summarizes recent advances in SMSIs for efficient energy conversion in oxygen redox electrocatalysis applications. Additionally, the correlation between the physicochemical properties of different metals and supports is systematically elucidated, and the potential mechanisms of the structure-activity relationships between SMSIs and catalytic performance are outlined through theoretical models. Finally, the obstacles confronting this burgeoning field are comprehensively concluded, targeted recommendations and coping strategies are proposed, and future research perspectives are outlined.

Efficient and Ultrastable Seawater Electrolysis at Industrial Current Density with Strong Metal-Support Interaction and Dual Cl--Repelling Layers.

Direct seawater electrolysis is emerging as a promising renewable energy technology for large-scale hydrogen generation. The development of Os-Ni4Mo/MoO2 micropillar arrays with strong metal-support interaction (MSI) as a bifunctional electrocatalyst for seawater electrolysis is reported. The micropillar structure enhances electron and mass transfer, extending catalytic reaction steps and improving seawater electrolysis efficiency. Theoretical and experimental studies demonstrate that the strong MSI between Os and Ni4Mo/MoO2 optimizes the surface electronic structure of the catalyst, reducing the reaction barrier and thereby improving catalytic activity. Importantly, for the first time, a dual Cl- repelling layer is constructed by electrostatic force to safeguard active sites against Cl- attack during seawater oxidation. This includes a strong Os─Cl adsorption and an in situ-formed MoO4 2- layer. As a result, the Os-Ni4Mo/MoO2 catalyst exhibits an ultralow overpotential of 113 and 336mV to reach 500mA cm-2 for HER and OER in natural seawater from the South China Sea (without purification, with 1m KOH added). Notably, it demonstrates superior stability, degrading only 0.37 µV h-1 after 2500 h of seawater oxidation, significantly surpassing the technical target of 1.0 µV h-1 set by the United States Department of Energy.

Computational screening of Group VⅢ@C5N4 single-atom electrocatalysts for overall water splitting

Single-atom catalysts (SACs) have great potential for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) since their high atomic utilization and strong metal–support interactions. Herein, we develop TM@C5N4 (TM = Fe, Co, Ni, Ru, Rh, Pd, Os, Ir and Pt) catalysts via embedding Group VⅢ TM in holey C5N4 substrate and further evaluate their electrocatalytic activity using density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Systematical studies indicate that Fe@C5N4, Pd@C5N4 and Ir@C5N4 catalysts all exhibit excellent HER performance, which mainly because of their small ΔGH* values of 0.101 eV, -0.114 eV and 0.070 eV, respectively. In parallel, Rh@C5N4 and Ir@C5N4 possess high OER activity along with low overpotential of 0.50 V, which is superior to the commercial IrO2 catalyst (0.56 V). Obviously, Ir@C5N4 could be utilized as bifunctional electrocatalysts both HER and OER in water splitting. Furthermore, we analyze their correlative catalytic mechanisms using the molecular orbitals. Besides, biaxial strain modulation could effectively regulate the catalytic activity of HER and OER. Particularly, 2 % biaxial tensile strain could bring Ir@C5N4 superb HER/OER catalytic performance. Finally, we anticipate that this strain engineering would provide a new perspective for developing high-performance SACs for water splitting.

Facet-Dependent Diversity of Pt-O Coordination for Pt1/CeO2 Catalysts Achieved by Oriented Atomic Deposition.

The surface chemistry of CeO2 is dictated by the well-defined facets, which exert great influence on the supported metal species and the catalytic performance. Here we report Pt1/CeO2 catalysts exhibiting specific structures of Pt-O coordination on different facets by using adequate preparation methods. The simple impregnation method results in Pt-O3 coordination on the predominantly exposed {111} facets, while the photo-deposition method achieves oriented atomic deposition for Pt-O4 coordination into the "nano-pocket" structure of {100} facets at the top. Compared to the impregnated Pt1/CeO2 catalyst showing normal redox properties and low-temperature activity for CO oxidation, the photo-deposited Pt1/CeO2 exhibits uncustomary strong metal-support interaction and extraordinary high-temperature stability. The preparation methods dictate the facet-dependent diversity of Pt-O coordination, resulting in the further activity-selectivity trade-off. By applying specific preparation routes, our work provides an example of disentangling the effects of support facets and coordination environments for nano-catalysts.

Using In situ Transmission Electron Microscopy to Study Strong Metal-Support Interactions in Heterogeneous Catalysis.

Precisely controlling the microstructure of supported metal catalysts and regulating metal-support interactions at the atomic level are essential for achieving highly efficient heterogeneous catalysts. Strong metal-support interaction (SMSI) not only stabilizes metal nanoparticles and improves their resistance to sintering but also modulates the electrical interaction between metal species and the support, optimizing the catalytic activity and selectivity. Therefore, understating the formation mechanism of SMSI and its dynamic evolution during the chemical reaction at the atomic scale is crucial for guiding the structural design and performance optimization of supported metal catalysts. Recent advancements in in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) have shed new light on these complex phenomena, providing deeper insights into the SMSI dynamics. Here, the research progress of in situ TEM investigation on SMSI in heterogeneous catalysis is systematically reviewed, focusing on the formation dynamics, structural evolution during the catalytic reactions, and regulation methods of SMSI. The significant advantages of in situ TEM technologies for SMSI research are also highlighted. Moreover, the challenges and probable development paths of in situ TEM studies on the SMSI are also provided.