Themed collection (Photo)electrocatalysis for renewable energy

(Photo)electrocatalysis holds the promise to enable the broad implementation of renewable energies. The articles highlighted in this issue emphasize advances in types and activity of catalysts and electrode materials for a variety of reactions and technologies.

Issues to be improved in the future for single-atom OER catalysts and related challenges.

Highlighting vibrational spectroelectrochemistry for the investigation of synthetic molecular (photo) electrocatalysts for key energy conversion reactions.

Under steady state conditions, the differential stability of reaction intermediates can alter the rate and the direction of a catalytic process regardless the overall underlying thermodynamic driving force.

This article presents the latest research on electrosynthesis routes to organic carbonates. Different methods are discussed in an effort to understand the underlying processes and challenges.

Transition metal oxides keep on being excellent candidates as electrode materials for the photoelectrochemical conversion of solar energy into chemical energy.

The development of metal organic framework based water oxidation catalysts is discussed here in connection with various design strategies.

Combination of electrochemical methods, quantum mechanical calculations, bioinformatics, and bioengineering allows understanding the photoexcited electron transfer process and set the basis for artificially tuning photo-bioelectrocatalysis.

Structurally ordered Ni substituted PdCu₃ nanoparticles were found to remarkably enhance the ethanol oxidation efficiency due to optimal adsorption of intermediates in close proximity.

Carbon foam was used as a substrate for NiO and growing carbon nanofibers. The synthesized NiO-CNF-CF electrode was successfully used as an efficient electrode for a microbial fuel cell.

Postmortem analysis of a CoV₂O₄ catalyst for oxygen evolution reveals the active species is likely a vanadium-free amorphous cobalt oxide.

We report a novel and upscalable method to synthesise small, highly dispersed Bi nanoparticles on activated carbon. This electrocatalyst displays outstanding selectivity (FE > 99% at −1.07 V vs. RHE) and stability in the conversion of CO₂ to formate.

The photo- and electrocatalytic H₂ production by the cobaloxime core improves in the presence of a primary amine group in the periphery.

A macrocyclic porphyrin complex comprising two nickel centres connected via redox mediating linkers gives rise to efficient HER catalysis.

The ground- and excited-state properties of redox- and photo-active Cu(I) complexes immobilized in nanoporous AAO are responsive to pore diameter.

A trinuclear nickel complex with S-based ligands is reported as a bio-inspired model of the [NiFe] hydrogenases' active site. DFT calculations indicate that thiolate and thioether functions are involved as proton relays in the H₂ evolution mechanism.

Kr-derivatization and X-ray structures indicated O₂-channel and gating-loop that prevent side-reaction in reduction of O₂ to water in F₄₂₀H₂ oxidase.

A neural network-based emulator can accurately and efficiently predict the spatial distribution of absorption throughout a nanoscale semiconductor in a disordered photoelectrode.

Acid stability in catalysts that promote the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) involves an interplay between electrolyte and catalyst composition, both of which must be judiciously selected in order to promote activity and durability.

The building blocks of eumelanin can be used as versatile material with enhanced charge transfer properties.

[FeFe] hydrogenases are highly active hydrogen conversion catalysts, whose oxygen sensitivity prevents their widespread application. Here, an oxygen-stable inactive form was reactivated in a redox hydrogel enabling its practical use under air.

Ethylene, CO, methane, formate, and allyl alcohol were selectively enhanced upon illumination of a copper–silver cathode during plasmon-enhanced electrochemical conversion.

Interfacial diazo coupling of surface-bound amines with aromatics via a robust siloxane anchor installs various small molecules on TiO₂ surface.

Here, we report the quantitative electroreduction of CO₂ to CO by a PNP-pincer iridium(I) complex bearing amino linkers in DMF/water. The activity and selectivity of the reduction greatly depend on the choice of linker within the ligand.

Adding metal-cluster hole scavengers enhances photocatalytic hydrogen production by quantum dots.

0-D/2-D hybrids consisting of few-layered MoS₂ nanosheets interspersed with phosphorene quantum dots show remarkable bifunctional electrocatalytic activity for oxygen and hydrogen evolution, with exceptional stability in alkaline conditions.

Molecular ORR catalysts based on metallo-corrole with the smallest meso-substituent reported to date, Co(III)CF₃-corrole, was synthesized and compared to the well-studied Co(III)tpf-corrole when adsorbed on a high surface area carbon support.

Charge transfer from spatially connected double perovskite oxide nanosheets to N-doped carbon nanotubes facilitates oxygen activation in a stable zinc–air battery.

A combined process using LiBr metal salt hydrates and photoreforming converts cellulosic biomass into H₂ and organic reaction products.

Operando X-ray absorption spectroscopy was employed to study an active electrocatalyst, hyperfine β-FeOOH nanorods (∅ 3 × 15 nm) surface-modified with amorphous Ni hydroxide.