03/12/2025.
Featured in Nature Communications under the title “On-surface synthesis of tailored organic platforms for single metal atoms” this work -including among others the Istituto Struttura della Materia of the National Research Council of Italy- presents a breakthrough in the design of engineered molecular platforms capable of precisely stabilizing metal atoms within customizable, undercoordinated active sites. By combining on-surface synthesis (enabled by atomic-resolution scanning probe microscopy) with coordination chemistry and single-atom catalysis, the study integrates experimental and theoretical insights to reveal how these precise atomic environments enhance reactivity and establish fundamental design principles for next-generation catalysts
