The Special Issue “Engineering Materials for Catalysis” was inspired by the preceding 2020 Summer School of the European Federation of Catalysis Societies (EFCATS, https://skd2020.chem-soc.si/en/2020-efcats-summer-school/, accessed on 20 October 2021), which took place from 15 to 19 September 2020 at the Grand Hotel Bernardin Convention Center, Portorož-Portorose, Slovenia.
It deals with the synthesis (Häusler, Contribution 1) and characterization of heterogeneous catalysts (including shape-controlled (Sarıbıyık, Contribution 2) and laser routes (Lasemi, Contribution 3)), in situ and operando studies (Mutschler, Contribution 4), advanced (synchrotron) characterization, and computational modelling, and covers various applications in photocatalysis (degradation of dyes (Pavlović, Contribution 5)) and volatile organic compounds (Žumbar, Contribution 6; Ullattil, Contribution 7) as well as in thermal and industrial (HDS) catalysis (Xu, Contribution 8).
In recent years, the importance of sustainable pathways, waste recycling, and material and energy resources other than fossil fuels has increased. Future technological advances will require breakthroughs in catalyst synthesis, (operando) characterization, multiscale modelling and reactor operating modes, and process intensification. As all these topics were covered by the 2020 EFCATS Summer School, the school and the Special Issue of the journal Catalysts were notably well timed.
Funding
A.P. and N.N.T. gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency (research core funding Nos. P2-0150 and P1-0418).
Acknowledgments
G.R. acknowledges the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) [10.55776/F81, 10.55776/COE5] (SFB TACO, Cluster of Excellence MECS).
Conflicts of Interest
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
List of Contributions
- Häusler, J.; Pasel, J.; Woltmann, F.; Everwand, A.; Meledina, M.; Valencia, H.; Lipińska-Chwałek, M.; Mayer, J.; Peters, R. Elucidating the Influence of the d-Band Center on the Synthesis of Isobutanol. Catalysts 2021, 11, 406. https://doi.org/10.3390/catal11030406.
- Sarıbıyık, O.Y.; Weilach, C.; Serin, S.; Rupprechter, G. The Effect of Shape-Controlled Pt and Pd Nanoparticles on Selective Catalytic Hydrodechlorination of Trichloroethylene. Catalysts 2020, 10, 1314. https://doi.org/10.3390/catal10111314.
- Lasemi, N.; Rupprechter, G. Chemical and Laser Ablation Synthesis of Monometallic and Bimetallic Ni-Based Nanoparticles. Catalysts 2020, 10, 1453. https://doi.org/10.3390/catal10121453.
- Mutschler, R.; Moioli, E. Infrared Thermography as an Operando Tool for the Analysis of Catalytic Processes: How to Use it? Catalysts 2021, 11, 311. https://doi.org/10.3390/catal11030311.
- Pavlović, J.; Šuligoj, A.; Opresnik, M.; Tušar, N.N.; Logar, N.Z.; Rajić, N. Studies of Clinoptilolite-Rich Zeolitic Tuffs from Different Regions and Their Activity in Photodegradation of Methylene Blue. Catalysts 2022, 12, 224. https://doi.org/10.3390/catal12020224.
- Žumbar, T.; Ristić, A.; Dražić, G.; Lazarova, H.; Volavšek, J.; Pintar, A.; Zabukovec Logar, N.; Tušar, N.N. Influence of Alumina Precursor Properties on Cu-Fe Alumina Supported Catalysts for Total Toluene Oxidation as a Model Volatile Organic Air Pollutant. Catalysts 2021, 11, 252. https://doi.org/10.3390/catal11020252.
- Ullattil, S.G.; Zavašnik, J.; Maver, K.; Finšgar, M.; Novak Tušar, N.; Pintar, A. Defective Grey TiO2 with Minuscule Anatase–Rutile Heterophase Junctions for Hydroxyl Radicals Formation in a Visible Light-Triggered Photocatalysis. Catalysts 2021, 11, 1500. https://doi.org/10.3390/catal11121500.
- Xu, Y.; Liang, S.; Sun, L.; Hu, X.; Zhang, Y.; Lai, W.; Yi, X.; Fang, W. Management of γ-Alumina with High-Efficient {111} External Surfaces for HDS Reactions. Catalysts 2020, 10, 1254. https://doi.org/10.3390/catal10111254.
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