Dear Colleagues,

The energy crisis that we are witnessing today and the growing number of related environmental problems indicate the need to explore more sustainable energy sources that can reduce our great dependence on fossil-based fuels. The challenges we face in regard to energy storage and production and utilization approaches require that we develop alternative and sustainable routes, of which one of the most promising alternatives, in terms of sustainability and the possibility of controlled environmental impact, may be electrochemistry/electrocatalysis.

Different electrocatalytic processes could be used to target the above-mentioned challenges, i.e., the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO₂RR) and nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR). The benefit of these processes is described by the concept of “value added output”, achieved through the production of energy or energy vectors, as well as fuels and industrially useful building blocks.

The aim of this Special Issue, entitled “In-Depth Study of Electrochemical Reduction Catalysts and Promoters Toward Green and Sustainable Processes”, is to investigate the latest approaches to the design, development and characterization of high-efficiency electrocatalysts for ORR, CO₂RR and NRR electrocatalysis, with descriptions of the key features of different materials that can be defined as good candidates for sustainability.

Publications focused on the preparation, in-depth characterization and specific working conditions of different electrocatalytic materials for electrocatalytic reduction reactions  (metal-based, metal-free, carbon-based, etc.) are of great interest and welcome for submission to this Special Issue, which aims to provide useful suggestions for upcoming and future studies in this highly topical research field.

Dr. Manuela Bevilacqua
Prof. Dr. Yanxin Chen
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Catalysts is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• electrochemistry
• electrocatalysis
• fuel cells and electrolyzers
• hydrogen energy vector
• electroreforming
• renewable energy
• renewable feedstock
• valuable chemicals
• sustainability