First-Row Transition Metal-Based and Carbonaceous Electrocatalysts for Energy Conversion and Storage Systems

Dear Colleagues,

The global energy landscape is undergoing a profound and necessary transformation toward sustainable, low-carbon technologies to address the dual challenges of climate change and growing energy demand. In this evolving scenario, first-row transition-metal-based and carbonaceous materials have emerged as promising alternatives to noble-metal-based catalysts due to their abundance, low cost, tunable electronic structures, and structural versatility. These materials offer significant potential for driving key electrochemical processes central to renewable energy conversion and storage, including water splitting, fuel cells, metal–air batteries, and carbon dioxide/nitrogen reduction. Their ability to support high catalytic activity, combined with increasing efforts to tailor their morphology, surface chemistry, and electronic properties, makes them central to the development of next-generation energy technologies.

This Special Issue aims to compile the latest scientific and technological advances in the design, synthesis, functionalization, and mechanistic understanding of such materials, with a focus on their integration into practical and scalable electrochemical systems. We seek to provide a platform for showcasing breakthroughs that bridge fundamental insights with real-world applications. We welcome contributions (original research articles, reviews, and short communications) that address, but are not limited to, the following themes:

• Synthesis and characterization of first-row transition-metal-based nanostructures (Fe, Co, Ni, Mn, Cu, etc.).
• MOF-derived or coordination-complex-derived catalysts for electrochemical applications.
• Carbonaceous electrocatalysts, including biocarbon, heteroatom-doped carbons, porous carbon frameworks, and graphene-based materials.
• Hybrid or composite catalysts combining transition metals with carbon supports or conductive scaffolds.
• Electrocatalysis for energy conversion, such as
  • The hydrogen Evolution Reaction (HER);
  • The oxygen Evolution Reaction (OER);
  • The oxygen Reduction Reaction (ORR);
  • CO₂ and N₂ reduction.
• Applications in energy storage systems, such as
  • Water splitting;
  • Metal–air batteries (Zn-air, Li-air, etc.);
  • Fuel cells;
  • Electrochemical capacitors;
  • Advanced battery chemistries.
• Mechanistic and theoretical studies, including
  • Reaction pathway analysis;
  • DFT calculations;
  • In situ and operando spectroscopic studies.
• Scalability, durability, and system integration of these catalysts in real-world devices.

We encourage the submission of interdisciplinary and application-focused papers that bridge fundamental material science and applied electrochemical engineering.

If you would like to submit papers to this Special Issue or have any questions, please contact the in-house editor, Ms. Rita Lin (rita.lin@mdpi.com).

Dr. Sadhasivam Thangarasu
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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• bifunctional electrocatalyst
• water splitting
• batteries
• fuel cells
• hybrid capacitors