Bioinspired Photocatalysis and Photoenzymatic Catalysis
A special issue of Catalysts (ISSN 2073-4344). This special issue belongs to the section "Photocatalysis".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2026 | Viewed by 179
Special Issue Editors
Interests: enzymatic catalysis; photocatalysis; electron transfer; photocatalysts; application of combined catalysis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
2. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
Interests: microbial catalysis; enzymatic catalysis; environmental application; carbon cycle
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The conversion of light energy into chemical reactivity is a fundamental process in nature, underpinning phenomena such as photosynthesis, vision, and photoregulation in living systems. Inspired by these natural processes, bioinspired photocatalysis and photoenzymatic catalysis have emerged as powerful and rapidly developing research areas, offering sustainable strategies for chemical synthesis, energy conversion, and environmental remediation. This Special Issue, titled “Bioinspired Photocatalysis and Photoenzymatic Catalysis”, aims to showcase recent advances and emerging concepts at the interface of photochemistry, catalysis, and biological inspiration.
Conventional photocatalysis has demonstrated remarkable potential in driving challenging chemical transformations under mild conditions using solar or visible light. However, achieving high selectivity, efficiency, and functional group tolerance remains a significant challenge. Nature provides elegant solutions to these limitations through precisely organized catalytic architectures and finely tuned reaction pathways. Bioinspired photocatalytic systems, which mimic structural motifs, reaction mechanisms, or light-harvesting strategies found in biological systems, have opened new avenues for designing advanced catalysts with improved performance and sustainability. In parallel, photoenzymatic catalysis—the combination of enzymes with light-driven processes—has gained increasing attention as a means to expand the catalytic repertoire of biocatalysts. By coupling enzymes with photosensitizers or exploiting photoactive cofactors, researchers have enabled non-natural reactivity, enhanced redox transformations, and improved catalytic control using light as an external trigger. These hybrid systems offer unique advantages, including exceptional chemo-, regio-, and stereoselectivity, as well as operation under environmentally benign conditions.
The contributions in this Special Issue will reflect the multidisciplinary nature of the field, encompassing novel photocatalyst design, bioinspired materials, photoactive enzymes, mechanistic studies, and integrated photobiocatalytic systems. By bringing together fundamental insights and applied research, this Special Issue aims to stimulate further innovation and cross-disciplinary collaboration. We hope that the compiled works will not only deepen our understanding of light-driven catalytic processes but also accelerate the development of sustainable chemical technologies inspired by nature.
Dr. Ling Xu
Prof. Dr. Anzhou Ma
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Catalysts is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- bioinspired materials
- photocatalyst design
- photocatalysis
- biocatalysis
- photoenzymatic catalysis
- mechanism
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
