Themed collection Catalysis showcase

This review provides an overview of Cu-based catalysts for electrocatalytic nitrate reduction to ammonia. It encompasses materials, reaction mechanisms, analysis methods and insights into the practical applications and economic prospects.

This review comprehensively summarizes the recent advances on crystalline carbon nitrides, including their preparation, optimization strategies, photocatalytic applications, as well as challenges and prospects.

In this review we show how DFT gas-phase errors affect computational models of electrocatalytic reactions.

Electrocatalytic nitrate reduction to ammonia offers a sustainable approach for nitrogenous waste upcycling. This review outlines recent advances in the design of electrocatalysts through cross-scale structural engineering.

This article reviews organic photocatalyst hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), discussing the excitonic behaviour and improvement strategies. It also covers progress in organic photocatalysts, and assesses HER efficiency and stability.

In this review paper, recent developments of iron oxide nanoparticles are highlighted and discussed in the field of organic catalysis and environmental remediation.

The unique characteristics of oxygen-doped g-C₃N₄ (O@g-C₃N₄), including enhanced charge carrier mobility and changed electronic structure, make it especially appealing for photocatalytic applications.

A novel 1D hierarchical architecture with dispersed Fe₃C nanoparticles confined in multichannel nitrogen-doped carbon fibers (Fe₃C/MNCFs) is reported as efficient NO₃RR electrocatalyst. The Fe₃C/MNCFs-800 demonstrates the nitrate conversion of 90.9%, N₂ selectivity of 99.53%, for up to 15 cycles.

A novel RCC process using modified CZA DFMs to produce renewable MeOH is presented. K/CZA provides exceptionally high productivity of MeOH compared to previously reported attempts of RCC to MeOH.

Mechanochemical synthesis of azo dyes with aryltriazenes and phenolic compounds under catalyst-, promoter- and solvent-free conditions was developed.

The distribution of cations in spinel structures significantly influences their hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) catalytic activity, as it affects the material's electronic properties, stability, and surface characteristics.

Cyclic deposition and stripping of metal ions (e.g. Cu²⁺) on Ir-oxides enhance electrochemical dissolution of Ir-oxides, likely due to weakening of the Ir–O–Ir bonds. The phenomenon is influential to IrO_x catalyst stability and recovery perspective.

Electrocatalyst-in-a-box, a novel reactive separation process, enables a molecular catalyst to convert wastewater nitrate into purified ammonia.

Zinc bionanohybrids have been synthesised by a mechanochemical method that involves a size effect at the nano- and microscale levels of the final structure, improving their catalytic properties compared to the counterpart synthesised in water.

Novel electrode materials for electrocatalytic hydrogen generation are investigated for increasing the activity of expensive noble-metal components.

Under controlled atmospheres the mechanochemical synthesis of tolbutamide is catalysed by Cu(II), with CuCl acting as a pre-catalyst, activated via aerobic oxidation under milling. Use of aluminum jars results in mechanoinhibition of this process.

Extended high-entropy alloy electrocatalysts as a platform to investigate electrocatalytic CO oxidation and surface structure–property relations.

NiCoMn oxide nanoneedles with a cactus-like morphology are shown as bifunctional electrocatalysts that selectively oxidize glycerol to HCOOH and concurrently produce H₂.

Phase engineering to construct In₂S₃ heterophase junctions and abundant active boundaries and surfaces for efficient Pyro-PEC performance in CdS/In₂S₃.

In this study, a sustainable and eco-friendly copper-free protocol has been developed for the regioselective synthesis of 1,4-disubstituted and N-unsubstituted 1,2,3-triazoles using a zinc-based heterogeneous catalyst.

The first series of Silverton {UMo₁₂O₄₀}-based polyoxomolybdates linked by Fe^II, Co^II, and Ni^II were synthesized and characterized. They exhibited excellent stabilities and were used as heterogeneous catalysts for the synthesis of quinazolinones.

A strategy is proposed to induce the self-assembly process of metal ions with polyphenol in deep eutectic solvents (DESs) for the generation of metal-polyphenol network particles (MPNPs).

This study investigates Pd–SrO@TiO₂/gCN photocatalysts for eco-friendly H₂ generation through water splitting.

The Ta₂O₅/Nb₂O₅ composite enables a systematic glucose conversion to HMF via fructose intermediate formation with selectivity attributed to the provision of Lewis and Brønsted acidic sites.

PET non-catalyzed, non-isothermal hydrolysis can produce 94% terephthalic acid (TPA) yield in 75 seconds.

A highly reversible bifunctional electrocatalyst for flexible Zn air batteries was fabricated featuring pyridinic-N exclusively enriched CNT encased NiFe interfacial alloy nanoparticles derived from an LDH template on knitted carbon fiber cloth.

Synergistic magic: copper single atom and nanocrystalline carbon nitride for selective CO₂ to methanol conversion.

A porous structure was electrosynthesized via a DHBT with interconnected nanosheets. The fabricated electrode demonstrated great activity for the UOR and HER.

A simple, rapid and efficient multicomponent synthesis of spiroacridines and spiroquinolines was carried out under the influence of acetic acid and their antioxidant properties, DFT, docking and in silico ADMET and drug-likeness properties were explored.

Reinforcement mechanism introduced by the fully bio-based HWPU sizing agent.

A new photoelectrocatalytic mode permits the synthesis of polycyclic pyrimidin-4-ones through dehydrogenative cyclization of malonates with unactivated alkenes.

In this work, we design an asymmetric hetero-trimetallic single-atom catalyst with ZnN₃CoN₃FeN₂S active catalytic sites to enhance the oxygen reaction performances.

Metal–salophen organic frameworks with dispersed metal centers and precise coordination environments were synthesized. The optimal sample exhibited great photocatalytic activity and near-unity CO selectivity over a wide range of CO₂ concentrations.

The incorporation of iron into the cobalt-based metal–organic framework modifies the electronic environment and the resulting bimetallic MOF exhibits enhanced oxygen evolution reaction performance.

The mechanocatalytic depolymerization of cellulose to oligomeric glycans in a planetary ball mill is systematically studied based on reaction parameters such as acid content, filling level, rotational speed and grinding duration.

The 3D structure of the anodic catalyst layer in polymer electrolyte water electrolysis is characterized and its shown that Pt-coated microporous transport layers help to reduce iridium loadings by maximizing catalyst utilization.

Pt nanoparticles supported on a library of 3d, 4d, 5d and f metal M–N–C catalysts for the ORR.

A urea-assisted water splitting electrolyzer based on Pt nanoparticle-anchored Ni(OH)₂@Ni-CNF catalyst and Pt@Ni-CNF catalyst is constructed for effectively reducing the energy consumption of H₂ production.

Coordination environment dominated catalytic selectivity of the HER and OER with switchable active centers.

Functional links have been established at the atomic and local scales to understand the synergy between the Fe impurities in the electrolyte and active Ni centres in LaNiO₃ perovskite systems.

Meticulously designed neighboring WOR and ORR active sites significantly enhance the overall photocatalytic synthesis of hydrogen peroxide.

Mechanochemical methanolysis of polyester and polycarbonate eliminated catalyst and solvent.

Combining cathodic CO₂RR on Sn (green), Cu (blue), and Ag (grey) on carbon paper, or Cu (purple), and Ag (brown) on PTFE with anodic HMFOR on NiP in a flow cell at 100 mA cm⁻² improves energy efficiencies while reducing the levelized cost of HCOOK production compared to the conventional OER system.

A sustainable catalyst development utilizing earth-abundant iron oxide (FeO_x) nanoparticles for photochemical oxygen reduction to hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) was achieved, generating a valuable green oxidant and future energy carrier.

Adding small amounts of Au Nanoparticles on Cu₂O Nanocubes boost the selectivity of C₂₊ products during electrocatalytic CO₂ reduction reaction.

Combining theory and experiment, we unveil the mechanisms for furfural electroreduction on copper and provide a rationale to tune reaction conditions to increase activity towards value-added products.