This catalyst study uses steric and electrostatic repulsion to suppress titanium aggregation and stabilise high-density Ti single-atom sites on accessible hierarchical hollow-silica surfaces.
Key findings
- The catalyst achieved complete conversion of 500-ppm dibenzothiophene in five minutes, turnover frequency 148.28 h⁻¹ and apparent activation energy 23.78 kJ/mol with reported stability and regeneration. DFT identified Ti-η²-OO-tBu as a key rapid-oxidation intermediate.
Why this matters globally
The precursor–support concept may improve metal utilisation and mass transfer in single-atom catalysts for cleaner fuels and chemical manufacturing if scalable synthesis and structural retention are demonstrated.
Thai researcher contribution
Krongthong Kamonsuangkasem of the Synchrotron Light Research Institute contributed to the China–Singapore–Thailand team, with Crossref confirming the Nakhon Ratchasima affiliation.
Limitations to consider
Desulfurisation used a model system and one target compound, not real fuel containing diverse sulphur, nitrogen, aromatics and water. “Scalable” and “near-atom-efficiency” need production-scale and atom-balance evidence. Cost, long-term life, Ti leaching and oxidant impacts remain unclear.
Verify the original sources
Advanced Functional MaterialsRead the original article↗DOI: 10.1002/adfm.76828