The reduction of noble-metal use in heterogeneous catalysis has led to the development of single-atom catalysts supported on graphene. However, pristine graphene exhibits weak metal-support interactions, leading to atom diffusion and aggregation. This review introduces density functional theory studies on the stability and catalytic activity of Pt single atoms anchored on light-element-doped graphene. Substitutional doping with O, Si, or P forms strong bonds with Pt atoms, suppressing detachment and diffusion even under hydrogen atmospheres. These doped supports also modulate the Pt electronic states, enhancing catalytic activity for the oxygen reduction reaction and formic acid decomposition. Notably, O- and P-doped graphene exhibit both high activity and selectivity for dehydrogenation.

The control of spin information at the atom- or molecule-level is attracting attention for quantum information processing. Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) can provide a feasibility study for this technique, in which the radio frequency (RF) signal plays a vital role in characterization and operation. In this article, recent studies that combine the RF signal with the STM tunneling junction will be introduced. First, we show an example of electron spin resonance (ESR) detection using STM for a single magnetic molecule adsorbed on a NaCl on Cu. An apparent increase in the tunneling current occurs when the magnetic field and RF parameters satisfy the Zeeman conditions of an unpaired orbital. Second, we analyze how the RF affects scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS) features, whichc are quasi-particle peaks in the superconducting material. We demonstrated that the STS peak is separated by the photon-assisted tunneling process, which is applicable to a nanoscale chemical analysis.

The influence of surface phenomena on the various physical properties of substances is most pronounced when their bodies are atomically thin. Consequently, one-dimensional (1D) materials such as carbon nanotubes and two-dimensional (2D) materials derived from the exfoliation of layered compounds such as graphite and transition metal dichalcogenides are regarded as promising platforms for detecting the adsorption of foreign molecules. This special issue highlights the current status and challenges of molecular sensors based on 1D nanotubes and 2D materials.