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Catalysts
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Carbon-Based Catalysts to Address Environmental Challenges
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Carbon-Based Catalysts to Address Environmental Challenges

A special issue of Catalysts (ISSN 2073-4344). This special issue belongs to the section "Catalytic Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2025) | Viewed by 1531

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Raquel Pinto Rocha

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Guest Editor
Laboratory of Separation and Reaction Engineering—Laboratory of Catalysis and Materials (LSRE-LCM), Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
Interests: Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs); organic pollutants; environmental applications; metal-free catalysts; carbon-based catalysts
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. José L. Figueiredo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Associate Laboratory LSRE-LCM, Chemical Engineering Dept., Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
Interests: heterogeneous catalysis; nanostructured carbon materials; chemical and catalytic reaction engineering
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The potential of carbons as an alternative to the more conventional materials used in catalysis has been recently recognized. Carbon materials with the graphenic structure can be prepared from a wide range of precursors, and can be used as catalyst supports or as catalysts on their own. Structural defects and edges offer reactive sites where different functional groups can be attached; in addition, carbon atoms in the graphite lattice can be replaced by heteroatoms such as N, B, P or S. Functionalization and doping are methodologies that can be used for tuning the properties of these carbon materials, allowing the design of custom-made catalysts for specific applications.

In this Special Issue, we will focus on challenging environmental applications for carbon-based catalysts, such as the production of chemicals and fuels from biomass and carbon dioxide, including photo and electrocatalysis; energy storage and conversion; and the replacement of industrial catalysts that are based on scarce elements. The application of carbon-based catalysts in pollution abatement is also within the scope of the Special Issue.

Dr. Raquel Pinto Rocha
Prof. Dr. José L. Figueiredo
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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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

  • carbon-based catalysts
  • nanostructured carbons
  • carbon surface chemistry
  • metal-free carbon catalysis
  • biomass conversion to fuels, chemicals and materials
  • CO2 valorization
  • carbon-based environmental technologies
  • energy storage and conversion carbon systems
  • carbon-based electrocatalysts and carbon-promoted photocatalysts

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 7493 KiB  
Article
Carbon-Coated Magnetic Catalysts for Enhanced Degradation of Nitrophenols: Stability and Efficiency in Catalytic Wet Peroxide Oxidation
by Arthur P. Baldo, Ana Júlia B. Bezerra, Adriano S. Silva, Ana Paula Ferreira, Fernanda F. Roman, Ihsan Çaha, Manuel Bañobre-López, Francis Leonard Deepak and Helder T. Gomes
Catalysts 2025, 15(4), 376; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal15040376 - 11 Apr 2025
Viewed by 295
Abstract
Nitrophenols are persistent organic pollutants that pose serious environmental and health risks due to their toxic and lipophilic nature. Their persistence arises from strong aromatic stability and resistance to biodegradation, while their lipophilicity facilitates bioaccumulation, exacerbating ecological and human health concerns. To address [...] Read more.
Nitrophenols are persistent organic pollutants that pose serious environmental and health risks due to their toxic and lipophilic nature. Their persistence arises from strong aromatic stability and resistance to biodegradation, while their lipophilicity facilitates bioaccumulation, exacerbating ecological and human health concerns. To address this challenge, this study focuses on the synthesis and characterization of two different types of hybrid multi-core magnetic catalysts: (i) cobalt ferrite (Co-Fe2O4), which exhibits ferrimagnetic properties, and (ii) magnetite (Fe3O4), which demonstrates close superparamagnetic behavior and is coated with a novel and less hazardous phloroglucinol–glyoxal-derived resin. This approach aims to enhance catalytic efficiency while reducing the environmental impact, offering a sustainable solution for the degradation of nitrophenols in aqueous matrices. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images revealed the formation of a multi-core shell structure, with carbon layer sizes of 6.6 ± 0.7 nm for cobalt ferrite and 4.2 ± 0.2 nm for magnetite. The catalysts were designed to enhance the stability and performance in catalytic wet peroxide oxidation (CWPO) processes using sol–gel and solution combustion synthesis methods, respectively. In experiments of single-component degradation, the carbon-coated cobalt ferrite (CoFe@C) catalyst achieved 90% removal of 2-nitrophenol (2-NP) and 96% of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP), while carbon-coated magnetite (Fe3O4@C) demonstrated similar efficiency, with 86% removal of 2-NP and 94% of 4-NP. In the multi-component system, CoFe@C exhibited the highest catalytic activity, reaching 96% removal of 2-NP, 99% of 4-NP, and 91% decomposition of H2O2. No leaching of iron was detected in the coated catalysts, whereas the uncoated materials exhibited similar and significant leaching (CoFe: 5.66 mg/L, Fe3O4: 12 mg/L) in the single- and multi-component system. This study underscores the potential of hybrid magnetic catalysts for sustainable environmental remediation, demonstrating a dual-function mechanism that enhances catalytic activity and structural stability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Carbon-Based Catalysts to Address Environmental Challenges)
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10 pages, 1489 KiB  
Article
Pd Catalysts Based on C3N4-Modified Activated Carbon Derived from Biomass Residues for the Dehydrogenation of Formic Acid
by María Bernal-Vela, Miriam Navlani-García and Diego Cazorla-Amorós
Catalysts 2025, 15(4), 305; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal15040305 - 24 Mar 2025
Viewed by 317
Abstract
Formic acid has recently been considered one of the most promising liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHCs). Its decomposition to obtain H2 has been fruitfully investigated during recent years using catalysts of a very diverse nature. Most of these catalysts lack stability, so [...] Read more.
Formic acid has recently been considered one of the most promising liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHCs). Its decomposition to obtain H2 has been fruitfully investigated during recent years using catalysts of a very diverse nature. Most of these catalysts lack stability, so finding stable materials under reaction conditions is highly desirable but challenging. In the present study, catalysts based on Pd nanoparticles supported on C3N4-modified activated carbon derived from biomass residues were developed, characterized, and assessed in the decomposition of formic acid in the liquid phase. These catalysts were prepared using a straightforward method that allowed different nitrogen contents to be achieved in the support and avoided the ex situ reduction in the Pd precursor. The results of the catalytic tests indicated the positive role of incorporating C3N4, leading to catalysts that displayed much better performance than the C3N4-free counterpart. The incorporation of C3N4 resulted in catalysts with small and well-distributed Pd nanoparticles, leaching resistance and modified electronic properties of the Pd species. As a result, promising catalytic activity was observed in the developed materials. Pd/AC_C3N4(19) attained an initial TOF of 2893 h−1, and it preserved most of its catalytic activity for at least six consecutive reaction cycles, which is a remarkable characteristic of the developed catalytic system. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Carbon-Based Catalysts to Address Environmental Challenges)
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17 pages, 2725 KiB  
Article
Butanol Production by Ethanol Condensation: Improvements and Limitations in the Rational Design of Cu-Ni-MgO/Graphite Catalysts
by Inmaculada Rodríguez-Ramos, Cristina Lopez-Olmos and Antonio Guerrero-Ruiz
Catalysts 2025, 15(3), 272; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal15030272 - 13 Mar 2025
Viewed by 490
Abstract
The advancement in catalytic processes utilizing sustainable raw materials, such as bioethanol, represents a key scientific challenge in this century. One potential approach to producing 1-butanol, a compound primarily obtained from petroleum-derived sources, is through the Guerbet reaction. For this transformation, various multifunctional [...] Read more.
The advancement in catalytic processes utilizing sustainable raw materials, such as bioethanol, represents a key scientific challenge in this century. One potential approach to producing 1-butanol, a compound primarily obtained from petroleum-derived sources, is through the Guerbet reaction. For this transformation, various multifunctional catalysts have been explored, some of which incorporate Cu and/or Ni nanoparticles that facilitate hydrogenation and dehydrogenation reactions, along with magnesium oxide, which provides the necessary acid/base functionality. To promote nanoparticle formation and maximize the exposed active surface area, high-surface-area graphite (HSAG), a hydrophobic and inert support material, emerges as a promising candidate. In this study, different catalyst formulations containing these components were tested under moderate reaction conditions, at temperatures between 440 and 580 K and a pressure of 50 bar. A strong correlation was observed between butanol selectivity and the presence of medium–high strength basic sites, complemented by moderate acidity. Furthermore, optimizing the copper and nickel loadings to 4 wt.% Cu and 1 wt.% Ni significantly minimized the formation of unwanted byproducts. The highest butanol selectivity (44%) was achieved using a 4Cu1Ni-Mg/HSAG catalyst, which had been pretreated in helium at 723 K before H2 reduction, yielding approximately 9% 1-butanol. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Carbon-Based Catalysts to Address Environmental Challenges)
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