15th Anniversary of Catalysts: Catalytic Materials and Processes for H2 and E-Fuel Production from Wastes

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2026 | Viewed by 1134

Special Issue Editors


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Institute of Nanostructured Materials, Palermo Research Division, CNR-ISMN, Via Ugo La Malfa 153, 90146 Palermo, Italy
Interests: supported noble metals; nanostructured and mesoporous oxides; inorganic perovskites; catalytic applications in soot oxidation and NOx SCR of exhaust gases emitted from stationary and mobile sources; VOC oxidation; dry/steam hydrocarbon reforming; CO2 hydrogenation to CH4 and light olefines
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School of Chemical Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
Interests: design of nano metal catalysts; heterogeneous catalytic selective oxidation; green synthesis of biomass-based fine chemicals from glycerol
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Joint Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education, Institute of Applied Physics and Materials Engineering, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau 999078, China
Interests: electrocatalysis; hybrid sodium–air batteries; supercapacitors; zinc–air batteries; water-splitting; graphene; transition metal oxide; phosphorus synthesis
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Faculty of Physics, Institute for Research-Development-Innovation in Applied Natural Sciences, Institute of Interdisciplinary Research in Bio-Nano-Sciences, Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Interests: biomaterials; photocatalysts and graphene-based materials
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The year 2026 marks the 15th anniversary of MDPI’s Catalysts, a monthly, peer‑reviewed open access journal on catalysts and catalyzed reactions that was established in 2011.

We welcome experts in catalysis, materials science, energy conversion, and environmental engineering to contribute to this Special Issue, which aims to highlight innovations in sustainable hydrogen and e-fuel production from waste-derived resources. Suggested thematic areas and directions for contribution are listed below.

  1. Catalytic Material Design and Innovation
  • The design of nanostructured, bimetallic, or support-enhanced catalysts for H₂ generation.
  • Electrocatalysts or photocatalysts for water-splitting or CO2 valorization.
  • Catalyst stability, deactivation mechanisms, and regeneration strategies.
  • Theoretical and computational approaches (e.g., DFT, machine learning) to guide the development of catalysts.
  1. Thermochemical and Catalytic Waste Conversion

Suggested contributors: Specialists in biomass, plastic, and waste valorization.

Topics may include the following:

  • The steam reforming, dry reforming, or gasification of organic waste.
  • Catalytic pyrolysis or hydrothermal liquefaction/gasification.
  • The integration of catalytic processes with waste pretreatment methods.
  • Hybrid systems such as plasma-assisted or microwave-assisted catalysis.
  1. Catalysis in Power-to-X Systems and E-Fuel Synthesis
  • The catalytic hydrogenation of CO2 to fuels (methane, methanol, or hydrocarbons).
  • Fischer–Tropsch synthesis and synthetic fuel pathways using renewable H2.
  • The coupling of waste-derived syngas with H2 from electrolysis.
  • Modular Power-to-X systems and their catalytic challenges.
  1. Circular Economy, Policy, and Sustainability Analysis
  • Circular strategies for waste-derived fuels.
  • Life-cycle analysis (LCA) and carbon footprint evaluation.
  • The integration of waste-to-fuel systems in decentralized or off-grid contexts.
  • Regulatory frameworks, market trends, and sustainability criteria for H2 and e-fuels.

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. Leonarda Liotta
Prof. Dr. Tianliang Lu
Dr. Kwun Nam Hui
Prof. Dr. Lucian Baia
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

  • hydrogen production
  • CO2 utilization
  • waste valorization
  • electrochemical conversion
  • sustainability assessment
  • renewable fuels: (photo)catalytic materials

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 2076 KB  
Article
Study on the Effect of Precious Metal Loading and Pt/Pd Ratio on Gaseous Pollutant Emissions from Diesel Engines
by Kun Shao, Heng Wu and Yantao Zou
Catalysts 2025, 15(10), 974; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal15100974 - 12 Oct 2025
Viewed by 485
Abstract
This study systematically investigated the influence of catalyst formulation parameters (precious metal loading and Pt/Pd ratio) in diesel oxidation catalysts (DOCs)+catalyzed diesel particulate filter (CDPF)+selective catalytic reduction (SCR) on gaseous pollutant emissions from diesel engines. Results indicate that under varying conditions, the impact [...] Read more.
This study systematically investigated the influence of catalyst formulation parameters (precious metal loading and Pt/Pd ratio) in diesel oxidation catalysts (DOCs)+catalyzed diesel particulate filter (CDPF)+selective catalytic reduction (SCR) on gaseous pollutant emissions from diesel engines. Results indicate that under varying conditions, the impact of catalyst formulation on DOC system performance—such as temperature rise characteristics, pressure drop, and brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC)—remains limited. Notably, exhaust temperature exerts a decisive influence on carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrocarbon (HC) conversion efficiency, significantly outweighing the impact of exhaust flow rate. Increasing precious metal loading and Pt proportion markedly optimizes CO and HC ignition characteristics by lowering ignition temperatures. However, under high-load conditions, conversion efficiencies across different catalyst formulations tend to converge. Specifically, under low-load conditions, a competitive adsorption mechanism between CO and HC causes HC conversion efficiency to exhibit an inverse trend relative to CO. Furthermore, higher precious metal loading and Pt content significantly enhance the catalyst’s NO2 formation capacity at equilibrium temperatures, while higher Pd content contributes to improved thermal stability. Higher precious metal loading and Pt content increase nitrogen oxides (NOx) conversion efficiency. CDPF possesses the ability to further oxidize NO. Full article
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14 pages, 1821 KB  
Article
Hydrothermal Aging Mechanism of CeO2-Based Catalytic Materials and Its Structure–Activity Relationship Study on Particulate Matter Oxidation Performance
by Yantao Zou and Liguang Xiao
Catalysts 2025, 15(10), 962; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal15100962 - 7 Oct 2025
Viewed by 483
Abstract
With the increasing emphasis on environmental protection and sustainable development, improving air pollution control technology has become imperative. In this study, Ce-based catalysts are used as research objects to explore the effects of hydrothermal aging on their performance in oxidizing PM. Different Mn, [...] Read more.
With the increasing emphasis on environmental protection and sustainable development, improving air pollution control technology has become imperative. In this study, Ce-based catalysts are used as research objects to explore the effects of hydrothermal aging on their performance in oxidizing PM. Different Mn, Na, Pt and Zr-doped Ce-based catalysts were prepared based on the impregnation method and the PM oxidation performance of Ce-based catalysts before and after hydrothermal aging was investigated using thermogravimetric experiments, and the catalytic activity change pattern of fresh/hydrothermal aging Ce-based catalysts was analyzed by comparing the comprehensive combustion index S and combustion stability index Rw, revealing the PM oxidation process. The conclusion showed that the cerium-based catalyst significantly enhanced the oxidation efficiency of PM compared with PU. By comparing the performance of different metal-modified catalysts, it was found that the order of activity was: Pt > Na > Mn > Zr. With the metal doping increased, only the comprehensive combustion index S and combustion stability index Rw of Na/CeO2 catalysts decreased. After hydrothermal aging treatment, the Zr/CeO2 catalysts showed the best hydrothermal aging resistance, and the comprehensive combustion index S and combustion stability index Rw remained stable (<5%). Ce-based catalysts have the strongest to weakest hydrothermal aging resistance in the following order: Zr > Mn > Pt > Na. This study not only provides an important scientific reference for the application of Ce-based catalysts in the field of environmental purification but also contributes new ideas and methods to promote the green and sustainable development of air pollution control technology. Full article
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