TheSabatierprincipleisafundamentalconceptincatalysisthatdescribestheoptimalinteractionbetweenacatalyst'sactivesitesandreactantmoleculesformaximumcatalyticactivity.Inthecontextofmetal-supportinteractions(MSI)fordesigningultrastablemetalnanocatalysts,thisprincipleguidestherationalselectionandmodificationofsupportmaterialstoachieveabalancedmetal-supportinteractionstrength.Anidealmetal-supportinteractionshouldbestrongenoughtoanchormetalnanoparticles(NPs)andpreventtheirsinteringorleachingunderharshreactionconditions,yetnotsostrongastocompletelysuppressthecatalyticactivitybyover-stabilizingthemetalspecies.ByapplyingtheSabatierprinciple,researcherscanfine-tunetheelectronicandgeometricpropertiesofmetalNPsthroughinteractionswithoxide,carbon,orothersupports,therebyenhancingbothstabilityandcatalyticperformance.Forexample,reducibleoxidesupports(e.g.,TiO₂,CeO₂)canformstrongmetal-supportinteractions(SMSI)undercertainconditions,encapsulatingmetalNPstoimprovethermalstabilitywhilemaintainingaccessibilitytoreactants.Non-reduciblesupports(e.g.,Al₂O₃,SiO₂)provideweakerinteractions,oftenrequiringadditionalstrategies(e.g.,doping,defectengineering)tostabilizemetalNPswithoutsacrificingactivity.ByleveragingtheSabatierprinciple,thedesignofultrastablemetalnanocatalystscanachieveadelicatebalancebetweenactivityandstability,enablinglong-termcatalyticperformanceinindustrialapplicationssuchashydrogenation,CO₂conversion,andfuelcells.
