Metalsupported

Metal-supported refers to materials in which active metal species, typically nanoparticles, are dispersed on a solid support. In catalysis, metal-supported catalysts consist of a metal component distributed on a high-surface-area solid such as oxides or carbon. The aim is to increase accessible surface area, improve dispersion, stabilize particles, and tailor metal–support interactions.

Common supports include oxides such as silica (SiO2), alumina (Al2O3), titania (TiO2), and zirconia (ZrO2); and carbon-based materials such as activated carbon, graphene, and carbon nanotubes. The support choice influences particle size, oxidation state, acidity or basicity, and electronic interactions, potentially affecting activity via the metal–support interaction (SMSI effect).

Preparation methods include impregnation (incipient wetness), deposition-precipitation, and more advanced routes like solvothermal synthesis or atomic layer deposition to achieve high dispersion and controlled size.

Advantages include high surface area, tunable metal loading, and the ability to combine metal and support properties. They are widely used in heterogeneous catalysis (e.g., Pt on carbon for hydrogenation and CO oxidation; Ni on Al2O3 for reforming) and electrocatalysis (Pt on carbon for fuel cells).

Challenges include sintering at high temperatures, metal leaching in liquids, and support instability under harsh conditions. Characterization typically uses TEM or STEM for particle size, XRD for crystallinity, XPS for oxidation state, and BET for surface area.

Note: In literature, the term is usually “supported metal catalysts” or “metal-supported materials.”