Advanced Catalysts towards Lignocellulosic Biomass Conversion and Water Splitting
A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Catalytic Materials".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 April 2023) | Viewed by 1138
Special Issue Editors
Interests: biomass conversion; electrocatalysis; carbon materials; 3D printing; X-ray absorption fine structure
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Development of new energy is currently a significant supplement of traditional fossil resources. Lignocellulosic biomass conversion and water splitting are two of the most important styles of energy conversion and utilization, since the former is a carbon neutral process and the latter only produces hydrogen and oxygen without carbon dioxide. However, it is challenging to develop high-performance catalysts for the two processes. Current applied catalysts are mainly precious and non-noble metal catalysts coupled with acid and/or base sites for one-pot conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to sugars and sugar alcohols, as well as some platform molecules such as levulinic acid, glycols, and furanic compounds. Various transition-metal hydroxides, nitrides, chalcogenides, and phosphides have been investigated as efficient bifunctional electrocatalysts for water splitting.
Advanced catalysts for lignocellulosic biomass conversion and water splitting should be highly active, selective, and stable. This requires metallic and composite sites anchored on a specific supporting matrix (especially for carbonaceous and metallic supports) that could satisfy multiple functions during operation conditions. Structural functions include nanostructures of nanofiber, nanorod, core–shell, yolk–shell, and mechanical properties such as strength, damage resistance, fracture toughness, etc. Nonstructural functions include electrical and thermal conductivities, porosity, particle size, morphology, etc.
The aim of this Special Issue is to understand the basic principles of catalyst preparation and catalytic performance, as well as the structure–property relationship for lignocellulosic biomass conversion and water splitting. Today, it is widely recognized that a rational design is necessary to the render superior properties needed and, thus, enable excellent catalytic performance of catalysts during reactions.
Dr. Ying Yang
Dr. Junying Wang
Guest Editors
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Keywords
- cellulose
- glucose
- acid
- base
- levulinic acid
- carbon
- hydrogen evolution
- non-noble metal catalysts
- nickel foam
- mechanism
