Researchers in Japan have developed a novel technique to significantly increase the use of ruthenium in single-atom catalysts, overcoming a long-standing hurdle in chemical manufacturing.
Ruthenium is a rare and costly metal prized for accelerating chemical reactions and lowering energy requirements in industrial processes. To maximize its utility, scientists utilize single-atom catalysts—spreading individual metal atoms across a material so a greater proportion of the metal actively participates in reactions. Traditionally, packing high concentrations of ruthenium atoms onto a catalyst caused them to clump together.
To solve this, a collaborative research team from Tohoku University, the University of Tsukuba, Kyoto University, and The University of Osaka engineered molecules with flexible structures capable of securely holding individual ruthenium atoms within a porous carbon framework. Published in Angewandte Chemie International Edition on September 3, 2026, the breakthrough achieved a ruthenium content of up to 11% by weight, vastly exceeding the typical 2% limit of conventional single-atom catalysts.
Testing demonstrated that the new catalyst successfully converts harmful carbon dioxide into formic acid—a valuable industrial raw material—with over 99% selectivity and minimal unwanted byproducts. Furthermore, the material maintained durability and high performance through repeated use without metal clumping or structural degradation. Buoyed by these results, the research team intends to investigate whether the approach can be applied to other precious metals like platinum, palladium, and iridium.
