Attenuating metal-substrate conjugation in atomically dispersed nickel catalysts for electroreduction of CO to CO.

Atomically dispersed transition metals on carbon-based aromatic substrates are an emerging class of electrocatalysts for the electroreduction of CO. However, electron delocalization of the metal site with the carbon support via d-π conjugation strongly hinders CO activation at the active metal centers. Herein, we introduce a strategy to attenuate the d-π conjugation at single Ni atomic sites by functionalizing the support with cyano moieties.