Single-Site or Not Single-Site?

The rational design and development of catalysts require structure – reactivity relationship approach, hence the need for strategies to obtain well-defined surface sites and their detailed characterization. Here, we discuss the method to control and understand the chemistry at the surface of materials towards the development of well-defined – so-called single-site – heterogeneous catalysts and show how this approach can bring about information about industrial catalysts. We will discuss in particular how the support affects the structure of the surface species.