Synthesis of Nanostructured Catalytic Materials from Microemulsions

Dear Colleagues,

There is a growing interest in the use of the microemulsion method for synthesizing nanostructured catalysts. This method offers several advantages over alternative methods: namely, the use of simple equipment, the possibility of preparing a great variety of materials with a high degree of particle size and composition control, the formation of nanoparticles that oftentimes possess crystalline structure and high specific surface area, and the use of soft conditions of synthesis that are near ambient temperature and pressure.

Materials synthesized with the (water-in-oil) w/o microemulsion method exhibit unique surface properties. For example, nano-catalysts prepared by this method show better performance (i.e., in terms of activity and selectivity) than those prepared by other methods. Recent advances have also broadened the scope of the microemulsion method’s utility (with regard to nanoparticle synthesis). Water-in-oil (w/o) microemulsion method has been used since 1982. Since then, novel approaches that are based on oil-in-water (o/w) and bicontinuous microemulsions have emerged over the last four years, and the materials synthesized by these methods are also being evaluated as catalysts.

This Special Issue will focus on recent progress in the catalytic applications of nanostructured materials synthesized by microemulsion-based methods. We invite contributions regarding all types of heterogeneous catalysis applications, including photo-catalysis and electro-catalysis.

Associate Prof. Dr. Magali Boutonnet
Dr. Margarita Sanchez-Dominguez
Guest Editors

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