# Releasing the Constraints on the Catalytic Performance of Ballast Stone in Co-N-C Materials

## TL;DR

This paper shows how adding boron to Co-N-C materials can improve the catalytic performance of Co nanoparticles, making them as effective as single-atom catalysts.

## Contribution

The study introduces a method to enhance Co nanoparticle catalytic activity by improving metal-support interactions through boron incorporation.

## Key findings

- Boron incorporation strengthens electronic metal-support interactions in Co-N-C materials.
- Modified Co nanoparticles show catalytic performance comparable to Co single-atom catalysts in formic acid dehydrogenation.

## Abstract

For Co-N-C materials prepared under high-temperature calcination conditions, the formation of Co nanoparticles occurs when the metal loading exceeds 2%. Typically, CoNx is regarded as the primary active site of the catalyst, while Co nanoparticles are considered to possess limited catalytic activity. Consequently, within Co-N-C materials, Co nanoparticles are often likened to ‘ballast stone’ in a catalyst. In the model reaction of formic acid dehydrogenation, we incorporated boron into the precursor, thereby enhancing the electronic metal-support interactions (EMSI) between Co nanoparticles and carbon carriers. Consequently, this modification resulted in a catalytic performance of Co nanoparticles that was comparable to that of Co single-atom catalysts (SACs).