Themed collection Nanocatalysis

The electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide (CO₂) is a crucial step toward a sustainable carbon economy, enabling the conversion of greenhouse gases into valuable fuels and chemicals.

Photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) hydrogen production technology combines the advantages of photocatalysis and electrocatalysis and utilizes solar energy to drive water splitting, which is a technology for sustainable energy systems.

Other than H₂ and O₂, water electrolysis can also be used for producing ozone for versatile applications. Here we report the recent advances on the relevant catalysts, categorized by material synthesis and types.

This review systematically introduces the evolution of PDI-based photocatalytic systems, combined with modern synthesis methods and emphasis on structural/functional modifications to advance semiconductor photocatalysis for solar energy harvesting.

The performance of n-type thermoelectrics has increased significantly over the years, with side chain engineering playing a pivotal role in advancing this field.

The strong metal oxide–support interaction (SMOSI) induced at the interface can accelerate deprotonation for high oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity.

First-principles calculations, in conjunction with experimental investigations, were utilized to probe the structural, stability, electronic, and optical properties of CsPbBr₃/M₂O₅ heterostructures.

This work presents a novel approach for synthesizing high carbon chemicals through the electrolysis process.

This study demonstrates the strategic use of nitrogen and sulfur co-doped carbon dots (N,S-CDs) as both a photocatalyst and a near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent probe for the simultaneous adsorption and detection of gold.

The wood@MoS₂/Fe₃O₄ catalyst enables efficient and sustained PMS activation for antibiotic degradation, maintaining high performance over 144 h and in complex matrices, showing strong potential for real wastewater treatment.

A 1D MoS₂/CdS heterojunction photocatalyst enables plastic waste photoreforming, yielding 97.7 mmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹ H₂ without cocatalysts. Interfacial asymmetry enhances charge separation, driving PLA oxidation to lactate and pyruvate.

Reduction of ZnO–CeO₂/H-ZSM-5 catalyst fragments ZnO particles into Zn²⁺ sites and creates oxygen-deficient Ce³⁺ centers. Their synergy enables the co-activation of CH₄ and CO₂, C–C coupling, and selective acetic acid formation.

Tuning the support surface area optimizes the electrode structure and mass transport, boosting performance and durability.

Catalytical dehydrofluorination of HFC-245fa over V₂O₅/γ-Al₂O₃ yields HFO-1234ze (Trans/Cis) with HF.

This work demonstrates the novel concept of synergistically integrating adsorption and photocatalytic degradation mechanisms through heterojunction engineering of MOF-based composites.

Meso- and microporosity, engineered through tailored pore architecture via hard templating synthesis, plays a key role in tuning the activity and stability of Fe–N@C electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction across different media.

A series of Fe-TAML complexes have been utilized to demonstrate the spin effect of Fe^III on oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) selectivity, revealing that a higher degree of spin polarization in Fe^III favors peroxide (OOH⁻) production.

The present research investigates photocatalytic H₂O₂ formation on a composite of Ag and starch-stabilized Fe₃O₄ (denoted as s-Fe₃O₄) nanoparticles.

This work presents a novel in situ electrochemical etching strategy to transform nickel–iron foam (NFF) into a high-performance OER catalyst (NiFeMo/NFF) by reconstructing its surface with ultrathin Mo-doped nanosheets.

This paper describes a detailed simulation approach to simulate the redox process on CuZn alloys, bridging traditional calculations with large-scale, multi-step processes and identifying key active sites for ethanol production.

Surface modification of CdS with positively charged diethylenetriamine molecules and Pt species induces interfacial electrical double layers to optimize charge carrier dynamics, achieving a 26.7-fold enhanced H₂ evolution compared to pristine CdS.

Sequential chemical and electrochemical activation induces controlled restructuring of Cu_2−xSe nanowires, yielding phase-separated architectures that modulate CO₂RR selectivity.

Methane dissociation and its non-oxidative coupling in metal-dispersed molten salt media.