Isolated metal atoms and clusters for alkane activation: Translating knowledge from enzymatic and homogeneous to heterogeneous systems

Activation of alkanes can be achieved with different types of catalysts, spanning over enzymes, homogeneous and heterogeneous metal catalysts. Though a tremendous amount of knowledge has been accumulated in the literature, the connections between different types of catalysts are rarely discussed due to the differences among the three catalysis fields in terms of catalyst structures, reaction conditions, and catalytic performances. There are also similarities among the various systems in terms of the structural features of the active sites and reaction mechanisms. In this review, we attempt to show the interconnections among the three catalysis fields regarding the nature of active sites and reaction mechanism for metal-catalyzed alkane activation reactions. We will show the lessons obtained from well-defined enzymatic and molecular catalysts developed in bio- and homogeneous catalysis, and how these can be translated into fundamental understanding and further developments of heterogeneous metal catalysts, for practical applications related to alkane activation.