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Advances in Catalysis for Sustainable Energy and Environmental Remediation, 2nd...
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Advances in Catalysis for Sustainable Energy and Environmental Remediation, 2nd Edition

A special issue of Catalysts (ISSN 2073-4344). This special issue belongs to the section "Catalysis for Sustainable Energy".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 April 2026 | Viewed by 2998

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Habib Ullah

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Guest Editor
Department of Engineering, Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn TR10 9FE, UK
Interests: design and development of energy materials; density functional theory; catalysis; photocatalysis; electrocatalytic OER/HER; organic solar cells; thermal energy storage; phase change materials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Muhammad Humayun

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Energy, Water and Environment Lab, College of Humanities and Sciences, Prince Sultan University, Riyadh 11586, Saudi Arabia
Interests: photocatalysis; photo-electrocatalysis; design and fabrication of functional nanomaterials for energy and environmental applications; CO2 conversion; water splitting; wastewater treatment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Sayyar Ali Shah

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemical Engineering, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo 255049, China
Interests: synthesis of 2D nanomaterials; interface engineering; electrocatalysis; hydrogen evolution reaction (HER); oxygen evolution reaction (OER); overall water splitting
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue, "Advances in Catalysis for Sustainable Energy and Environmental Remediation, 2nd Edition", focuses on the most recent advancements and breakthroughs in the field of catalysis, with a specific emphasis on their practical utilization in the production of sustainable energy and the remediation of environmental issues. This topic emphasizes the crucial significance of catalysts in improving both the efficiency and the durability of energy processes, as well as reducing environmental pollutants. Topics of interst include the advancement of state-of-the-art catalytic materials and techniques, enhancements in the durability and efficiency of catalysts, and the use of catalytic technologies in renewable energy systems such as hydrogen generation, carbon dioxide reduction, oxygen evolution, and nitrogen reduction. Furthermore, the problem pertains to the utilization of catalysis in wastewater treatment. This Special Issue offers an extensive summary of the present trends, challenges, and prospects in the field of catalysis, with a focus on its critical role in attaining a sustainable and environmentally friendly energy future. It will accomplish this by providing a selection of advanced research papers and reviews.

Dr. Habib Ullah
Dr. Muhammad Humayun
Dr. Sayyar Ali Shah
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

  • electrochemical hydrogen evolution reaction
  • electrochemical oxygen evolution reaction
  • electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction
  • electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction
  • photocatalytic hydrogen production
  • photocatalytic CO2 conversion
  • photocatalytic wastewater treatment
  • photocatalytic nitrogen fixation
  • Z-scheme photocatalytic systems
  • metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) for catalysis
  • single-atom catalysts
  • perovskite-based photocatalysts
  • 2D materials for electrocatalysis
  • defect engineering in catalysts
  • bandgap engineering

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 2675 KB  
Article
Biochar-Modified TiO2 Composites: Enhanced Optical and Photocatalytic Properties for Sustainable Energy and Environmental Applications
by Fatma. F. Alharbi, Taymour A. Hamdalla, Hanan Al-Ghamdi, Badriah Albarzan and Ahmed. A. Darwish
Catalysts 2025, 15(11), 1065; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal15111065 - 9 Nov 2025
Viewed by 609
Abstract
Enhancing TiO2 performance is essential for advancing photocatalysis, environmental remediation, and energy conversion technologies. In this work, nanosized TiO2 was modified with biochar (BC) derived from red sea algae at different loadings (0, 5, 10, and 15 wt%). Structural analysis confirmed [...] Read more.
Enhancing TiO2 performance is essential for advancing photocatalysis, environmental remediation, and energy conversion technologies. In this work, nanosized TiO2 was modified with biochar (BC) derived from red sea algae at different loadings (0, 5, 10, and 15 wt%). Structural analysis confirmed that TiO2 maintained its crystalline framework while biochar introduced additional amorphous features and modified surface morphology. Optical measurements revealed a redshift in the absorption edge and tunable bandgap values (3.28–3.72 eV), accompanied by increases in refractive index and extinction coefficient, indicating enhanced light–matter interactions. Electrochemical studies demonstrated that the TiO2/5 wt% BC composite exhibited the lowest charge-transfer resistance and highest peak current, reflecting superior conductivity. Photocatalytic tests showed that TiO2/5 wt% BC achieved nearly 84% degradation of methylene blue within 150 min under visible-light irradiation, with stable reusability over multiple cycles. These findings demonstrate that moderate biochar incorporation (5 wt%) optimally enhances the physicochemical, electrochemical, and photocatalytic properties of TiO2, making it a promising candidate for wastewater treatment, solar-driven catalysis, and sustainable energy applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Catalysis for Sustainable Energy and Environmental Remediation, 2nd Edition)
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22 pages, 2592 KB  
Article
UV/TiO2/IO4− Advanced Oxidation of Safranin O: Disentangling Matrix Complexity and Radical-Scavenger Interference
by Meriem Bendjama, Oualid Hamdaoui and Abdulaziz Alghyamah
Catalysts 2025, 15(11), 1022; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal15111022 - 30 Oct 2025
Viewed by 464
Abstract
The effectiveness of periodate-assisted photocatalysis in removing the cationic dye Safranin O (SO) was evaluated using a UV/TiO2/IO4− process operated at room temperature under near-neutral pH conditions. Under base conditions ([IO4−] = 0.15 mM, [TiO2 [...] Read more.
The effectiveness of periodate-assisted photocatalysis in removing the cationic dye Safranin O (SO) was evaluated using a UV/TiO2/IO4− process operated at room temperature under near-neutral pH conditions. Under base conditions ([IO4−] = 0.15 mM, [TiO2] = 0.4 g/L, [SO] = 10 mg/L), the ternary system achieved a pseudo-first-order rate constant of 0.6212 min−1, outperforming the UV/TiO2 and UV/IO4− processes by approximately 21- and 29-fold, respectively. This yielded a synergy ratio of about 12 compared to the sum of the binary processes. Targeted quenching experiments revealed the operative pathways. Strong inhibition by ascorbic acid and phenol indicates that interfacial holes and •OH are key oxidants. Methanol caused a moderate slowdown, consistent with •OH and hole scavenging. Benzoquinone and oxalate suppressed removal by intercepting the electron and O2•− pathways, respectively. Dichromate markedly inhibited the process via optical screening and competition for electrons. Azide had little effect, suggesting a minor role for singlet oxygen. Matrix studies showed progressively slower kinetics from deionized water to mineral water to seawater. This was due to halides, sulfate, alkalinity, and TiO2 aggregation driven by ionic strength. Additional tests confirmed that the dominant modulators of performance were humic acid (site fouling and light screening), chloride and sulfate (radical speciation and surface effects), nitrite (near-diffusion radical quenching), and bicarbonate at pH 8.3 (conversion of •OH to CO3•−). Nonionic surfactants (Tween 80, Triton X-100) also depressed SO removal through micellar sequestration and competitive adsorption on TiO2. The study confirms the potential of UV/TiO2/IO4− as a tunable AOP capable of delivering rapid and reliable dye degradation under a wide range of water quality conditions. The mechanistic mapping unifies two roles for IO4−, an electron acceptor that inhibits recombination and a photochemical precursor of iodine centered and •OH radicals and connect these roles to the observed synergy and to the trend across deionized water, mineral water, and seawater. The scavenger outcomes assign the main oxidant flux to holes and •OH radicals with a contributory electron or O2•− branch from IO4− reduction. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Catalysis for Sustainable Energy and Environmental Remediation, 2nd Edition)
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15 pages, 2094 KB  
Article
Scavenger-Probed Mechanisms in the Ultrasound/Chlorine Sono-Hybrid Advanced Oxidation Process
by Oualid Hamdaoui and Abdulaziz Alghyamah
Catalysts 2025, 15(10), 922; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal15100922 - 28 Sep 2025
Viewed by 633
Abstract
Sonochlorination (US/chlorine) is an emerging sonohybrid advanced oxidation process whose performance reportedly surpasses that of its individual components. However, the underlying oxidant budget is still being debated. We mapped the mechanism by systematically probing the US/chlorine system with selective scavengers (ascorbic acid, nitrobenzene, [...] Read more.
Sonochlorination (US/chlorine) is an emerging sonohybrid advanced oxidation process whose performance reportedly surpasses that of its individual components. However, the underlying oxidant budget is still being debated. We mapped the mechanism by systematically probing the US/chlorine system with selective scavengers (ascorbic acid, nitrobenzene, tert-butanol, 2-propanol, and phenol), competing anions (nitrite), and natural organic matter (humic acid). The kinetic hierarchy US/chlorine > US > chlorine remained consistent across all conditions, though its magnitude depended heavily on the matrix composition. Efficient •OH traps, such as alcohols and nitrobenzene, only partially suppressed the US/chlorine system. However, they greatly slowed sonolysis. This reveals a substantial non-•OH channel in the hybrid process. Ascorbic acid eliminated synergy by stoichiometrically removing free chlorine. Phenol quenched HOCl and chlorine-centered radicals. Nitrite imposed a dual penalty by scavenging •OH and consuming HOCl via the nitryl chloride (ClNO2) pathway. Humic acid acted as a three-way sink for •OH, HOCl, and chlorine radicals. These patterns suggest that reactivity is co-controlled by Cl•, Cl2•−, and ClO•. The results obtained are mechanistically consistent with cavitation-assisted activation of HOCl/OCl− at pH 5–6, where HOCl concentration is maximal. This yields a mixed oxidant suite in which Cl2•− is the dominant bulk oxidant, Cl• provides fast interfacial initiation, and ClO• offers selective support. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Catalysis for Sustainable Energy and Environmental Remediation, 2nd Edition)
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18 pages, 2656 KB  
Article
Photocatalytic Degradation of Safranin O: Unraveling the Roles of Dissolved Gases, Environmental Matrices, and Reactive Species
by Meriem Bendjama and Oualid Hamdaoui
Catalysts 2025, 15(9), 914; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal15090914 - 22 Sep 2025
Viewed by 912
Abstract
This study investigates the impacts of the gas environment, water matrix, and reactive species on the TiO2-mediated photocatalytic degradation of safranin O (SO), a dye commonly found in wastewater. A slurry reactor (UVA, 365 nm) was used to quantify SO oxidation [...] Read more.
This study investigates the impacts of the gas environment, water matrix, and reactive species on the TiO2-mediated photocatalytic degradation of safranin O (SO), a dye commonly found in wastewater. A slurry reactor (UVA, 365 nm) was used to quantify SO oxidation while systematically varying the SO concentration (5–40 mg/L), the TiO2 loading (0–3 g/L), the temperature (15–45 °C), and the pH (2–12). The dissolved gases (air, nitrogen, and argon) and matrices (deionized water, mineral water, and seawater) were also examined. Eight mechanistic probes (ascorbic acid, methanol, azide, nitrite, benzoquinone, oxalate, sucrose, and phenol) were used to identify active oxidants. UVA/TiO2 achieved rapid decolorization in approximately 90 min at 10 mg/L of SO and 0.4 g/L of TiO2. Decolorization rates decreased with increasing SO concentration due to active-site competition and inner-filter effects. Rates also exhibited a bell-shaped dependence on TiO2 loading due to light scattering and aggregation at high solids concentrations. Temperature exhibited a non-monotonic profile with an optimum around 25 °C, and the pH displayed an optimum range with maximal removal occurring around pH 10 and declining at pH 12. Air saturation outperformed N2 and Ar, indicating that O2 is the terminal electron acceptor. Photocatalytic performance decreased in the order deionized water > mineral water > seawater, owing to bicarbonate/chloride scavenging and ionic-strength effects. Scavenger tests converged on •OH dominance, with measurable contributions from superoxide/hydrogen peroxide (O2•−/H2O2) and valence-band holes (h+); singlet oxygen (1O2) played a minor role. These findings underscore the critical interplay between operational and environmental factors and offer a practical framework for scaling TiO2-based SO abatement in real waters. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Catalysis for Sustainable Energy and Environmental Remediation, 2nd Edition)
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