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Nanocatalysis towards Energy Transition and Environmental Sustainability
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Nanocatalysis towards Energy Transition and Environmental Sustainability

A topical collection in Catalysts (ISSN 2073-4344).

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Editors

Prof. Dr. Michalis Konsolakis

E-Mail Website
Collection Editor
School of Production Engineering and Management, Technical University of Crete, 73100 Chania, Greece
Interests: heterogeneous catalysis; surface science; materials science; rational design of metal oxides; nanocatalysis; metal–support interactions; structure–property relationships; CO2 hydrogenation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Sónia Carabineiro

E-Mail Website
Collection Editor
LAQV/REQUIMTE, Department of Chemistry, NOVA School of Science and Technology, NOVA University of Lisbon, Largo da Torre, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
Interests: gold; nanoparticles; catalysis; carbon; oxides; oxidation; heterogenization; alcohols; alkanes
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Topical Collection Information

Dear Colleagues,

Catalysis holds the keys to sustainable development and is receiving ongoing attention from both academic and industrial community. Heterogeneous catalysis is massively involved in numerous significant energy and environmental processes working towards green energy transition and environmental sustainability, such as energy production and storage, the manufacturing of value-added chemicals and fuels, the abatement of hazardous substances, and carbon and nitrogen recycling, among others. In view of this fact, extensive research efforts have been recently devoted to the fundamental understanding and practical development of innovative catalytic materials fulfilling the requirements of high activity and stability at a reasonable price.

The present topical collection is focused on the recent theoretical and experimental advances in the field of nanocatalysis, covering all aspects from novel synthetic methods to fine-tuning engineering strategies and advanced characterization studies.  Size, shape, and porous engineering at the nanoscale in conjunction with the use of appropriate promotional strategies (e.g., aliovalent doping, surface promotion, special pretreatment protocols, etc.) could facilitate the development of nano- or atom-efficient catalysts with fine-tuned intrinsic and interfacial properties. All subjects related to nanoscale advanced synthesis, optimization, and characterization studies working towards the development of nano- or atom-efficient catalysts are perfectly matched to this topical collection. Moreover, theoretical and experimental studies focusing on the fundamental understanding of metal–support interactions and structure–property relationships are very welcomed.

If you would like to submit papers to this Special Issue or have any questions, please contact the in-house editor, Ms. Rita Lin ([email protected]).

Prof. Dr. Michalis Konsolakis
Dr. Sónia Carabineiro
Collection Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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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.

Keywords

  • nanostructured catalytic materials
  • single atom catalysts
  • energy and environmental applications
  • heterogeneous catalysis/electrocatalysis/photocatalysis
  • novel synthetic and promotional methods
  • size and shape effects in catalysis
  • advanced characterization studies

Published Papers (3 papers)

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2024

31 pages, 3833 KiB  
Article
Transition Metal-Promoted LDH-Derived CoCeMgAlO Mixed Oxides as Active Catalysts for Methane Total Oxidation
by Marius C. Stoian, Cosmin Romanitan, Katja Neubauer, Hanan Atia, Constantin Cătălin Negrilă, Ionel Popescu and Ioan-Cezar Marcu
Catalysts 2024, 14(9), 625; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal14090625 (registering DOI) - 17 Sep 2024
Abstract
A series of M(x)CoCeMgAlO mixed oxides with different transition metals (M = Cu, Fe, Mn, and Ni) with an M content x = 3 at. %, and another series of Fe(x)CoCeMgAlO mixed oxides with Fe contents x ranging from 1 to 9 at. [...] Read more.
A series of M(x)CoCeMgAlO mixed oxides with different transition metals (M = Cu, Fe, Mn, and Ni) with an M content x = 3 at. %, and another series of Fe(x)CoCeMgAlO mixed oxides with Fe contents x ranging from 1 to 9 at. % with respect to cations, while keeping constant in both cases 40 at. % Co, 10 at. % Ce and Mg/Al atomic ratio of 3 were prepared via thermal decomposition at 750 °C in air of their corresponding layered double hydroxide (LDH) precursors obtained by coprecipitation. They were tested in a fixed bed reactor for complete methane oxidation with a gas feed of 1 vol.% methane in air to evaluate their catalytic performance. The physico-structural properties of the mixed oxide samples were investigated with several techniques, such as powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), elemental mappings, inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), temperature-programmed reduction under hydrogen (H2-TPR) and nitrogen adsorption–desorption at −196 °C. XRD analysis revealed in all the samples the presence of Co3O4 crystallites together with periclase-like and CeO2 phases, with no separate M-based oxide phase. All the cations were distributed homogeneously, as suggested by EDX measurements and elemental mappings of the samples. The metal contents, determined by EDX and ICP-OES, were in accordance with the theoretical values set for the catalysts’ preparation. The redox properties studied by H2-TPR, along with the surface composition determined by XPS, provided information to elucidate the catalytic combustion properties of the studied mixed oxide materials. The methane combustion tests showed that all the M-promoted CoCeMgAlO mixed oxides were more active than the M-free counterpart, the highest promoting effect being observed for Fe as the doping transition metal. The Fe(x)CoCeMgAlO mixed oxide sample, with x = 3 at. % Fe displayed the highest catalytic activity for methane combustion with a temperature corresponding to 50% methane conversion, T50, of 489 °C, which is ca. 40 °C lower than that of the unpromoted catalyst. This was attributed to its superior redox properties and lowest activation energy among the studied catalysts, likely due to a Fe–Co–Ce synergistic interaction. In addition, long-term tests of Fe(3)CoCeMgAlO mixed oxide were performed, showing good stability over 60 h on-stream. On the other hand, the addition of water vapors in the feed led to textural and structural changes in the Fe(3)CoCeMgAlO system, affecting its catalytic performance in methane complete oxidation. At the same time, the catalyst showed relatively good recovery of its catalytic activity as soon as the water vapors were removed from the feed. Full article
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20 pages, 4634 KiB  
Article
Comparative Assessment of First-Row 3d Transition Metals (Ti-Zn) Supported on CeO2 Nanorods for CO2 Hydrogenation
by Maria Lykaki, Sofia Stefa, Georgios Varvoutis, Vassilios D. Binas, George E. Marnellos and Michalis Konsolakis
Catalysts 2024, 14(9), 611; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal14090611 - 11 Sep 2024
Viewed by 350
Abstract
Herein, motivated by the excellent redox properties of rod-shaped ceria (CeO2-NR), a series of TM/CeO2 catalysts, employing the first-row 3d transition metals (Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, and Zn) as active metal phases, were comparatively assessed under [...] Read more.
Herein, motivated by the excellent redox properties of rod-shaped ceria (CeO2-NR), a series of TM/CeO2 catalysts, employing the first-row 3d transition metals (Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, and Zn) as active metal phases, were comparatively assessed under identical synthesis and reaction conditions to decipher the role of active metal in the CO2 hydrogenation process. Notably, a volcano-type dependence of CO2 hydrogenation activity/selectivity was disclosed as a function of metal entity revealing a maximum for the Ni-based sample. Ni/CeO2 is extremely active and fully selective to methane (YCH4 = 90.8% at 350 °C), followed by Co/CeO2 (YCH4 = 45.2%), whereas the rest of the metals present an inferior performance. No straightforward relationship was disclosed between the CO2 hydrogenation performance and the textural, structural, and redox properties, whereas, on the other hand, a volcano-shaped trend was established with the relative concentration of oxygen vacancies and partially reduced Ce3+ species. The observed trend is also perfectly aligned with the previously reported volcano-type dependence of atomic hydrogen adsorption energy and CO2 activation as a function of 3d-orbital electron number, revealing the key role of intrinsic electronic features of each metal in conjunction to metal–support interactions. Full article
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Graphical abstract

25 pages, 7784 KiB  
Article
Facile Synthesis of Sodium Alginate (SA)-Based Quaternary Bio-Nanocomposite (SA@Co-Zn-Ce) for Antioxidant Activity and Photocatalytic Degradation of Reactive Red 24
by Sidra Fatima, Sana Javaid, Hira Ahmad, Afaf Almasoudi, Doaa F. Baamer, Omar Makram Ali, Sónia A. C. Carabineiro and Muhammad Babar Taj
Catalysts 2024, 14(8), 471; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal14080471 - 24 Jul 2024
Viewed by 775
Abstract
This study introduces a new strategy for the environmentally friendly catalytic degradation of Reactive Red 24 (RR24) dye using sunlight. We developed a cost-effective quaternary nanocomposite by immobilizing a sodium alginate biopolymer over bioengineered Co-Zn-Ce nanoparticles, forming an SA@Co–Zn–Ce nanocomposite (where SA means [...] Read more.
This study introduces a new strategy for the environmentally friendly catalytic degradation of Reactive Red 24 (RR24) dye using sunlight. We developed a cost-effective quaternary nanocomposite by immobilizing a sodium alginate biopolymer over bioengineered Co-Zn-Ce nanoparticles, forming an SA@Co–Zn–Ce nanocomposite (where SA means sodium alginate). This composite also demonstrated an exceptional antioxidant potential of approximately 89%, attributed to the synergistic effect of sodium alginate and green-synthesized Co–Zn–Ce nanoparticles (biosynthesized using Ocimum sanctum leaf extract as a reducing agent). Scanning electron microscopy revealed grain sizes of 28.6 nm for Co–Zn–Ce NPs and 25.59 nm for SA@Co–Zn–Ce nanocomposites (NCs). X-ray diffraction showed particle sizes of 16.87 nm and 15.43 nm, respectively. Co–Zn–Ce NPs exhibited a zeta potential of 1.99 mV, whereas the sodium alginate-anchored Co–Zn–Ce showed −7.99 mV. This indicated the entrapment of negatively charged ions from sodium alginate, altering the surface charge characteristics and enhancing the photocatalytic degradation of RR24. Dynamic light scattering revealed an average particle size of approximately 81 nm for SA@Co–Zn–Ce NCs, with the larger size due to the influence of water molecules in the colloidal solution affecting hydrodynamic diameter measurement. The SA@Co–Zn–Ce NCs exhibited a CO2 adsorption capacity of 3.29 mmol/g at 25 °C and 4.76 mmol/g at 40 °C, indicating temperature-dependent variations in adsorption capabilities. The specific surface area of Co–Zn–Ce oxide NPs, measured using Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis, was found to be 167.346 m2/g, whereas the SA@Co–Zn–Ce oxide nanocomposite showed a surface area of 24.14 m2/g. BJH analysis revealed average pore diameters of 34.60 Å for Co–Zn–Ce oxide NPs and 9.26 Å for SA@Co–Zn–Ce oxide NCs. Although the immobilization of sodium alginate on Co–Zn–Ce oxide NPs did not increase the adsorption sites and porosity of the composite, as evidenced by the N2 adsorption–desorption isotherms, the SA@Co–Zn–Ce oxide NCs still demonstrated a high photocatalytic degradation efficiency of RR24. Full article
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