Carbon-Based Catalysts: State of the Art and Future Directions
A special issue of Catalysts (ISSN 2073-4344). This special issue belongs to the section "Catalytic Materials".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 March 2026 | Viewed by 27
Special Issue Editor
Interests: carbon catalysts; carbon-based functional nano materials; clean energy and environmental governance; carbon dots; photocatalysis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Carbon-based materials are revolutionizing heterogeneous catalysis due to their exceptional tunability, sustainability, and diverse structural properties. Unlike traditional metal-based catalysts, carbon catalysts—including graphene, carbon quantum dots, and engineered nanocarbons, etc. —offer unique advantages such as high surface area, excellent electrical conductivity, and resistance to harsh conditions. These characteristics make them ideal for applications ranging from renewable energy conversion to environmental protection and green synthesis. The ability to precisely modify their surface chemistry through heteroatom doping or functionalization further enhances their catalytic performance and selectivity.
Recent breakthroughs in synthetic control, heteroatom doping, and defect engineering have significantly enhanced the catalytic performance of carbon materials, enabling activities rivaling or even surpassing conventional catalysts. However, challenges remain in understanding their reaction mechanisms, scaling up production, and achieving long-term stability under operational conditions. Original research articles, reviews, and perspectives on topics including but not limited to the following are welcome:
- Design and synthesis of novel carbon catalysts;
- Mechanistic studies and theoretical modeling;
- Applications in electrocatalysis, photocatalysis, and thermal catalysis;
- Sustainable processes and green chemistry;
- Industrial applications and scalability.
If you would like to submit papers for publication in this Special Issue or have any questions, please contact the in-house Editor, Mr. Ives Liu (ives.liu@mdpi.com).
Prof. Dr. Haitao Li
Guest Editor
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 catalysts
- carbon dots
- nanocarbons
- biochar
- heteroatom doping
- energy conversion
- environmental remediation
- green chemistry
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