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Green Catalysis Technology for Sustainable Energy Conversion
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Green Catalysis Technology for Sustainable Energy Conversion

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Green Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2025 | Viewed by 5108

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Kangqiang Lu

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Guest Editor
School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Ganzhou, Jiangxi 341000, China
Interests: photocatalysis; graphene; composites
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Weiya Huang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Ganzhou, Jiangxi 341000, China
Interests: photocatalysis; graphene; composites
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Bo Weng

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361024, China
Interests: photocatalysis; metal nanoparticles; perovskites; H2 evolution; selective organic transformations; CO2 reduction
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Given the environmental problems brought by industrial development and the rapid consumption of natural resources, the need to search for new and alternative sources of energy has become a global consensus. Low-cost, efficient green catalysis technology is the focus of the present research. This Special Issue will present the most recent and significant developments in green catalysis technology for sustainable energy conversion. Original papers on the above topics and short reviews are welcome for submission

Dr. Kangqiang Lu
Prof. Dr. Weiya Huang
Dr. Bo Weng
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. Molecules is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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

  • catalysis
  • sustainable energy
  • energy crisis
  • environmental pollution

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

11 pages, 9191 KiB  
Article
Maximising the Potential of Reactive Carbon Support with Cobalt Active Phase for the Oxygen Evolution Reaction
by Termeh Darvishzad and Paweł Stelmachowski
Molecules 2025, 30(7), 1522; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30071522 - 29 Mar 2025
Viewed by 201
Abstract
A growing interest in novel noble metal-free electrocatalysts is fuelled by the pressing need to overcome the drastic demand for sustainable energy sources. To this end, the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) utilising transition metal oxide–carbon composites in alkaline media is considered a robust [...] Read more.
A growing interest in novel noble metal-free electrocatalysts is fuelled by the pressing need to overcome the drastic demand for sustainable energy sources. To this end, the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) utilising transition metal oxide–carbon composites in alkaline media is considered a robust technology. In many such systems, carbon is used as a conductive additive or support, and the interactions between carbon support materials and the active phase affect the efficiency of the electrocatalyst. Cobalt forms some of the most active and stable electrocatalysts for OER. In carbon-supported systems, the dispersion of the cobalt phase on the carbon surface is a key factor in influencing the catalyst activity in water-splitting reactions. In this study, a low-temperature plasma treatment is used to boost the efficiency of the cobalt active phase by functionalising the carbon support with various oxygen groups. We used a simple deposition–precipitation method to obtain cobalt hydroxide active phase over graphene nanoparticles. The activation of graphene nanoparticles with oxygen plasma allowed us to obtain a catalyst that showed only 317 mV@10 mA·cm−2. More importantly, in the series of plasma-activated samples, the OER activity was very high in a range of cobalt phase loadings, yielding a material with 2.4 wt.% of cobalt and an overpotential of only 327 mV@10 mA·cm−2. The results indicate that plasma activation of GNP support maximises the usage of the transition metal active phase, which allows for an improvement in area-normalised and a dramatic improvement in the mass-normalised OER electrocatalytic activity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Catalysis Technology for Sustainable Energy Conversion)
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13 pages, 2700 KiB  
Article
Effect of Solvents on Electrogenerated Base-Driven Transfer Hydrogenation Reactions
by Jing-Wei Zhu, Meng-Han Li, Feng Zhang, Ya-Li Wang, Jia-Xing Lu and Huan Wang
Molecules 2025, 30(4), 910; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30040910 - 15 Feb 2025
Viewed by 606
Abstract
Transfer hydrogenation is a crucial technology for synthesizing fine chemicals and pharmaceuticals, offering improved safety and convenience over traditional hydrogen methods, although it typically requires external bases. While isopropanol is commonly used as a hydrogen source, methanol is superior but faces challenges due [...] Read more.
Transfer hydrogenation is a crucial technology for synthesizing fine chemicals and pharmaceuticals, offering improved safety and convenience over traditional hydrogen methods, although it typically requires external bases. While isopropanol is commonly used as a hydrogen source, methanol is superior but faces challenges due to its high dehydrogenation energy barrier, limiting its use under mild conditions. This study focuses on investigating the differences in the electrogenerated base-driven transfer hydrogenation of aromatic ketones in isopropanol and methanol solvents, using Mn(CO)₅Br and cyclohexanediamine derivatives as the catalyst. The research demonstrates that high enantiomeric excess (ee) values were obtained in isopropanol in the presence of chiral Mn-based catalysts, while only racemic products were observed in methanol. The results indicate a strong dependence of the catalytic pathway on the choice solvent: in isopropanol, the catalyst operates via a metal–ligand cooperative transfer hydrogenation, resulting in high ee values, whereas in methanol, transfer hydrogenation occurs through metal hydride transfer with no stereoselectivity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Catalysis Technology for Sustainable Energy Conversion)
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12 pages, 3816 KiB  
Article
Integrating Ni(OH)2 Nanoparticles on CdS for Efficient Noble-Metal-Free Photocatalytic H2 Evolution
by Zemeng Wang, Piaopiao Wu, Weiya Huang, Kai Yang, Kangqiang Lu and Zhaoguo Hong
Molecules 2024, 29(24), 5821; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29245821 - 10 Dec 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 784
Abstract
Photocatalytic hydrogen evolution using inexhaustible clean solar energy is considered as a promising strategy. In order to build an efficient photocatalytic hydrogen production system to satisfy the demands of practical applications, it is of great significance to design photocatalysts that offer high activity, [...] Read more.
Photocatalytic hydrogen evolution using inexhaustible clean solar energy is considered as a promising strategy. In order to build an efficient photocatalytic hydrogen production system to satisfy the demands of practical applications, it is of great significance to design photocatalysts that offer high activity, low cost, and high stability. Herein, a series of cheap CdS/Ni(OH)2 composite photocatalysts were designed and synthesized using the hydrothermal method. The introduction of a Ni(OH)2 cocatalyst multiplied the reactive active site of cadmium sulfide and promoted the transfer of photoinduced electrons in a semiconductor. Therefore, CdS/Ni(OH)2 composites demonstrate significantly better photocatalytic performance, and the hydrogen production rate of an optimal CdS/5%Ni(OH)2 composite is 6.9 times higher than that of blank CdS. Furthermore, the stability test also showed that CdS/Ni(OH)2 had good stability. This study aims to serve as a rewarding reference for the development of high-performance composite photocatalysts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Catalysis Technology for Sustainable Energy Conversion)
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19 pages, 6040 KiB  
Article
MXene Anchored with Platinum Cobalt Alloy as an Efficient and Stable Electrocatalyst for Hydrogen Evolution
by Jing Xiao, Buxiang Wang and Qing Shu
Molecules 2024, 29(23), 5793; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29235793 - 7 Dec 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 736
Abstract
It is a great challenge to prepare efficient and stable electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution (HER) using non-precious metals. In this study, a series of PtCo/Ti3C2Tx-Y (Y: 16, 32, and 320, Y indicates the quality of Co(NO3 [...] Read more.
It is a great challenge to prepare efficient and stable electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution (HER) using non-precious metals. In this study, a series of PtCo/Ti3C2Tx-Y (Y: 16, 32, and 320, Y indicates the quality of Co(NO3)2) catalysts were synthesized by loading PtCo alloy on Ti3C2Tx. The PtCo/Ti3C2Tx-32 catalyst showed the best HER performance, reaching a current density of 10 mA cm−2 with low overpotential (36 and 101 mV) and small Tafel slopes (66.37 and 105.17 mV dec−1) in 0.5 mol L−1 H2SO4 and 1 mol L−1 KOH solution. The excellent HER activity of PtCo/Ti3C2Tx-32 can be attributed as follows: Ti3C2Tx has a unique two-dimensional structure, which can provide a large number of attachment sites for the PtCo alloy, hence exposing more active sites; on the other hand, it can also provide a fast and efficient conductive network for electron transport during electrocatalytic processes, thus enhancing the connectivity between electrolyte and catalyst. PtCo alloy makes the PtCo/Ti3C2Tx catalyst more hydrophilic, accelerating the release rate of bubbles. The DFT calculation results showed that the energy barrier of HER is reduced because the charge around Pt is redistributed by Co after alloying Pt and Co, so that the PtCo/Ti3C2Tx catalyst has a suitable ΔGH* value. This study can be expected to provide some references for the design and synthesis of Ti3C2Tx-supported alloy electrocatalysts with high activity and stability for HER. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Catalysis Technology for Sustainable Energy Conversion)
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18 pages, 7158 KiB  
Article
Novel PDI-NH/PDI-COOH Supramolecular Junction for Enhanced Visible-Light Photocatalytic Phenol Degradation
by Yongzhang Xu, Xingrui Luo, Fulin Wang, Wentao Xiang, Chensheng Zhou, Weiya Huang, Kangqiang Lu, Shaoyu Li, Man Zhou and Kai Yang
Molecules 2024, 29(17), 4196; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29174196 - 4 Sep 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1102
Abstract
The development of efficient and environmentally friendly photocatalysts is crucial for addressing global energy and environmental challenges. Perylene diimide, an organic supramolecular material, holds great potential for applications in mineralized phenol. In this study, through the integration of different mass ratios of unmodified [...] Read more.
The development of efficient and environmentally friendly photocatalysts is crucial for addressing global energy and environmental challenges. Perylene diimide, an organic supramolecular material, holds great potential for applications in mineralized phenol. In this study, through the integration of different mass ratios of unmodified perylenimide (PDI-NH) into the self-assembly of amino acid-substituted perylenimide (PDI-COOH), a novel supramolecular organic heterojunction (PDICOOH/PDINH) was fabricated. The ensuing investigation focuses on its visible-light mineralized phenol properties. The results show that the optimal performance is observed with a composite mass fraction of 10%, leading to complete mineralization of 5 mg/L phenol within 5 h. The reaction exhibits one-stage kinetics with rate constants 13.80 and 1.30 times higher than those of PDI-NH and PDI-COOH, respectively. SEM and TEM reveal a heterogeneous interface between PDI-NH and PDI-COOH. Photoelectrochemical and Kelvin probe characterization confirm the generation of a built-in electric field at the interface, which is 1.73 times stronger than that of PDI-COOH. The introduction of PDI-NH promotes π-π stacking of PDI-COOH, while the built-in electric field facilitates efficient charge transfer at the interface, thereby enhancing phenol decomposition. The finding demonstrates that supramolecular heterojunctions have great potential as highly effective photocatalysts for environmental remediation applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Catalysis Technology for Sustainable Energy Conversion)
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15 pages, 5157 KiB  
Article
Electrostatic Self-Assembly of CdS Quantum Dots with Co9S8 Hollow Nanotubes for Enhanced Visible Light Photocatalytic H2 Production
by Yuqing Yan, Yonghui Wu, Chenggen Lu, Yu Wei, Jun Wang, Bo Weng, Wei-Ya Huang, Jia-Lin Zhang, Kai Yang and Kangqiang Lu
Molecules 2024, 29(15), 3530; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29153530 - 26 Jul 2024
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1177
Abstract
CdS quantum dots (CdS QDs) are regarded as a promising photocatalyst due to their remarkable response to visible light and suitable placement of conduction bands and valence bands. However, the problem of photocorrosion severely restricts their application. Herein, the CdS QDs-Co9S [...] Read more.
CdS quantum dots (CdS QDs) are regarded as a promising photocatalyst due to their remarkable response to visible light and suitable placement of conduction bands and valence bands. However, the problem of photocorrosion severely restricts their application. Herein, the CdS QDs-Co9S8 hollow nanotube composite photocatalyst has been successfully prepared by loading Co9S8 nanotubes onto CdS QDs through an electrostatic self-assembly method. The experimental results show that the introduction of Co9S8 cocatalyst can form a stable structure with CdS QDs, and can effectively avoid the photocorrosion of CdS QDs. Compared with blank CdS QDs, the CdS QDs-Co9S8 composite exhibits obviously better photocatalytic hydrogen evolution performance. In particular, CdS QDs loaded with 30% Co9S8 (CdS QDs-30%Co9S8) demonstrate the best photocatalytic performance, and the H2 production rate reaches 9642.7 μmol·g−1·h−1, which is 60.3 times that of the blank CdS QDs. A series of characterizations confirm that the growth of CdS QDs on Co9S8 nanotubes effectively facilitates the separation and migration of photogenerated carriers, thereby improving the photocatalytic hydrogen production properties of the composite. We expect that this work will facilitate the rational design of CdS-based photocatalysts, thereby enabling the development of more low-cost, high-efficiency and high-stability composites for photocatalysis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Catalysis Technology for Sustainable Energy Conversion)
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