Light switching for product selectivity control in photocatalysis
Artificial switchable catalysis is a new, rapidly expanding field that offers great potential advantages for both homogeneous and heterogeneous catalytic systems.
Recent advances in photoelectrochemical hydrogen production using I–III–VI quantum dots
This minireview covers recent advances in photoelectrochemical hydrogen production using I–III–VI QDs, detailing the material design strategies.
Minireview
Atomically precise Au and Ag nanoclusters doped with a single atom as model alloy catalysts
This minireview focuses on single-atom doping effects on thermal catalysis, electrocatalysis, and photocatalysis of atomically precise gold or silver nanoclusters.
High-entropy-based nano-materials for sustainable environmental applications
A comprehensive overview of high entropy materials (HEMs), encompassing their sustainable energy and environmental applications.
Atomically thin iridium nanosheets for oxygen evolution electrocatalysis
A one-pot solvothermal synthesis route to prepare freestanding ultrathin Ir nanosheets with atomic thickness for oxygen evolution electrocatalysis was developed.
Cu-Pd Bimetal-decorated Siloxene Nanosheets for Semi-hydrogenation of Acetylene
Communication
Consecutive one-pot alkyne semihydrogenation/alkene dioxygenation reactions by Pt(II)/Cu(II) single-chain nanoparticles in green solvent
Bimetallic single-chain nanoparticles allow two consecutive one-pot (incompatible) reactions to be performed at room temperature in N-butylpyrrolidone.
Unravelling the origin of reaction-driven aggregation and fragmentation of atomically dispersed Pt catalysts on ceria support
Hand-crafted potent hydroxyl-rich husk succoured Fe3O4 @ Cu, Mn, Ni, Co – tetra-metallic heterogenous nanocomposite as a catalytic accelerant
Recoverable ternary nanocomposite (NC) made of Fe3O4 supported on Oryza sativa Husk (OSH) and ornamented with 3d tetra-metals (M = Mn, Co, Ni, Cu) is proposed using a manual grinding method.
Accepted Manuscript -
Paper
Dehydrogenative Oxidation of Hydrosilanes Using Gold Nanoparticle Deposited on Citric Acid-Modified Fibrillated Cellulose: Unveiling the Effect of Molecular Oxygen
Neodymium niobate Nanospheres on Functionalized carbon Nanofibers: A Nanoengineered Approach for Highly Sensitive Vanillin Detection
Suitably fabricated ternary nanocomposite (Cu-CuO@rGO-SiO2) as sustainable and common heterogeneous catalyst for C–S, C–O & C–N coupling reactions
Multifunctional Tunable Cu2O and CuInS2 Quantum Dots on TiO2 Nanotubes for Efficient Chemical Oxidation of Cholesterol and ibuprofen
Donor–acceptor type triphenylamine-based porous aromatic frameworks (TPA-PAFs) for photosynthesis of benzimidazoles
Two donor–acceptor type triphenylamine-based porous aromatic frameworks (TPA-PAFs) were constructed, which achieved the photocatalytic synthesis of benzimidazoles and their derivatives in high yields under mild conditions.
Enhancing the Electronic Structure of Ni-based Electrocatalysts through N Element substituting for the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction
Bi-directional charge transfer channels in highly crystalline carbon nitride enabling superior photocatalytic hydrogen evolution
Crystalline carbon nitride with bi-directional charge transfer channel (TCCN-K) is prepared. Donor–acceptor units and K intercalation set up a bi-directional charge transfer channel, endowing TCCN-K with a superior photocatalytic hydrogen evolution activity.
Catalytic NH3 oxidation affected by the nanometric roughness of the platinum overlayer
The nanometric smoothness of the Pt overlayer achieved more than 10-fold greater TOF compared to the rough Pt surface.
Multi-atomic loaded C2N1 catalysts for CO2 reduction to CO or formic acid
Triple-atom catalysts exhibit moderate adsorption energy for intermediate species, enabling the optimal performance of the CO2 electrocatalytic reduction reaction.
DNA-modified Prussian blue nanozymes for enhanced electrochemical biosensing
We present a method to create DNA-modified Prussian blue nanozymes, enhancing the stability and multi-analyte detection.
A novel GO hoisted SnO2–BiOBr bifunctional catalyst for the remediation of organic dyes under illumination by visible light and electrocatalytic water splitting
A novel GO-hoisted SnO2–BiOBr bifunctional catalyst for the remediation of organic dyes under illumination by visible light and electrocatalytic water splitting.
Lattice capacity-dependent activity for CO2 methanation: crafting Ni/CeO2 catalysts with outstanding performance at low temperatures
A series of Ca2+-doped CeO2 solid solutions with 10 wt% Ni loading (named Ni/CaxCe1−xOy) was used for effective CO2 methanation.
Perovskite CoSn(OH)6 nanocubes with tuned d-band states towards enhanced oxygen evolution reactions
An Fe3+ doping strategy is used to optimize the d-band state of the CoSn(OH)6 perovskite hydroxide, which promotes the OER performance of materials.
An oxygen vacancy-rich BiO2−x/COF heterojunction for photocatalytic degradation of diclofenac
BiO2−x/COF has abundant oxygen vacancies and photocatalyzes the degradation of diclofenac by forming heterojunctions with ˙O2− and h+ active substances.
Ferroelectric field enhanced tribocatalytic hydrogen production and RhB dye degradation by tungsten bronze ferroelectrics
The BSNT ferroelectric submicron powder tribocatalytic water splitting for hydrogen with rate of 200 μmol/h/g and tribocatalytic degradation of RhB dyes with efficiency 96% in 2 hours, •OH and •O2− play crucial roles in tribocatalysis.
Superhydrophobic MOF/polymer composite with hierarchical porosity for boosting catalytic performance in an humid environment
The superhydrophobic nanocomposite with hierarchical porosity was prepared by growing ZIF-8 nanocrystals within PDVB-vim to form ZIF-8/PDVB-vim composite. In an humid environment, the composite exhibits enhanced catalytic activity in Friedel–Crafts reaction.
Reactivity control of nitrate-incorporating octadecavanadates by changing the oxidation state and metal substitution
Local structure change of the vanadium-oxygen cluster with nitrate at the center controls the catalytic performance in selective oxidation.
Fe–Co heteronuclear atom pairs as catalytic sites for efficient oxygen electroreduction
Single-site Fe–N–C catalysts are the most promising Pt-group catalyst alternatives for the oxygen reduction reaction, but their application is impeded by their relatively low activity and unsatisfactory stability as well as production costs.
Low-temperature synthesis of porous organic polymers with donor–acceptor structure and β-ketoenamine for photocatalytic oxidative coupling of amines
In light of the widespread use of fossil fuels and the resulting environmental pollution, it is crucial to develop efficient photocatalysts for renewable energy applications that utilize visible light.
Easily constructed porous silver films for efficient catalytic CO2 reduction and Zn–CO2 batteries
Porous silver films on a commercial carbon paper with a commercial waterproofer (p-Ag/CP) could be easily fabricated on a large scale and serve as efficient electrocatalysts as well as Zn–CO2 batteries for CO2 reduction to CO.
Paper
Troubleshooting the influence of trace chemical impurities on nanoparticle growth kinetics via electrochemical measurements
Real-time electrochemical measurements of the solution potential of colloidal nanoparticle syntheses provide a tool for identifying the influence of trace contaminants in nanoparticle growth and shape development.
Bifunctional Au–Sn-SiO2 catalysts promote the direct upgrading of glycerol to methyl lactate
Direct preparation of bifunctional catalysts featuring both dispersed Au nanoparticles and inserted Sn species, to catalyze effectively the cascade reaction of glycerol to methyl lactate; active site proximity ensures rapid substrate channeling and boosts selectivity and yield.
Stoichiometrically optimized eg orbital occupancy of Ni–Co oxide catalysts for Li–air batteries
Lithium–air battery performance enhancement by optimizing the surface eg occupancy via adjusting the stoichiometric ratios of transition metal-based spinel structures.
Elevated temperature-driven coordinative reconstruction of an unsaturated single-Ni-atom structure with low valency on a polymer-derived matrix for the electrolytic oxygen evolution reaction
Elevated temperature-driven pyrolysis can generate coordinatively unsaturated NiSA-NC-900, crucial for the oxygen evolution process in water splitting, through coordination rebuilding and N-loss processes.
LiCoO2 impregnated nano-hierarchical ZSM-5 assisted catalytic upgrading of Kraft lignin-derived liquefaction bio-oil
Using e-waste for bio-oil upgrading.
An enhanced electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction by the photothermal effect and its induced micro-electric field
NiSx coupled NiFe(OH)y on nickel foam [NiSx@NiFe(OH)y/NF] was synthesized for the investigation of the photothermal effect and induced micro-electric field-enhanced electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction.
Unraveling a volcanic relationship of Co/N/C@PtxCo catalysts toward oxygen electro-reduction
A (inverted) volcanic relationship between Pt/Co ratios and oxygen electro-reduction properties is unraveled for composite Co/N/C@PtxCo catalysts.
About this collection
Guest edited by Professor In Young Kim (Ewha Womans University, South Korea), Professor Michelle Personick (University of Virginia, USA), and Professor Zhiqun Lin (National University of Singapore, Singapore).
Nanocatalysis represents an exciting subfield in nanoscience and nanotechnology which involves the use of nanomaterials and subnano-sized materials (nanoclusters, diatoms, single atoms) as catalysts for a wide variety of homogeneous and heterogeneous catalytic applications. Along with significant advances in nanomaterial design and synthesis assisted by machine learning, in-situ/ex-situ characterization techniques, and computational chemistry, the past several decades have witnessed a flood of research activities in this rapidly evolving area with most of the studies focusing on the effects of size, shape, chemical composition and morphology on catalytic properties and performance. This has led to the development of highly effective catalysts with enhanced activity, selectivity, and stability.
This special themed collection aims to provide a platform to showcase the recent progress and challenges in the field of nanocatalysis. The scope of the collection is broad covering novel design and synthesis strategies, homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis, theoretical understanding of the catalytic mechanisms, reaction pathway optimization, nanointerface engineering, support effects, dynamic evolution of active sites, advanced characterization techniques and covers applications in electrocatalysis, photocatalysis, photoelectrocatalysis, and thermocatalysis. We hope that readers find this themed collection informative and useful for the rational design and construction of highly efficient nanocatalysts to enable sustainable technologies for catalysis.