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Catalysts
Special Issues
Heterogeneous Catalysis in China: New Horizons and Recent Advances
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Heterogeneous Catalysis in China: New Horizons and Recent Advances

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 2081

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Lin Guo

grade E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Chemistry, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China
Interests: design; controlled synthesis and properties of nanomaterials; catalysis
Prof. Dr. Botao Qiao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
CAS Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Applied Catalysis, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, China
Interests: heterogeneous catalysis; single-atom catalysis; clean energy conversion and utilization​​
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Xiang-Ting Min

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
CAS Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Applied Catalysis, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, China
Interests: deuteration reactions; single-atom catalysis

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to invite your contributions to the Special Issue “Heterogeneous Catalysis in China: New Horizons and Recent Advances”.

Heterogeneous catalysis serves as the cornerstone of modern chemical industries, underpinning over 80% of chemical manufacturing processes and contributing approximately 30% to the global GDP. Over the past few decades, China has achieved rapid and significant progress in catalysis, evolving from a follower to a global leader in this important field.

This Special Issue aims to highlight the cutting-edge frontiers and recent advances in heterogeneous catalysis achieved in China or by Chinese scientists, spanning from fundamental research to industrial-scale applications. We warmly invite manuscripts covering (but not limited to) the following frontier topics in heterogeneous catalysis:

  • Innovative catalyst design strategies (e.g., atomically precise architectures and multifunctional composites);
  • Advanced characterization techniques for operando/in situ analysis of catalytic interfaces;
  • Dynamic structural evolution of catalysts under working conditions;
  • Mechanistic understanding of surface reactions through combined experimental–theoretical approaches;
  • Scalable synthesis protocols for industrially viable catalytic systems;
  • Machine learning-guided optimization of catalytic performance parameters.

Review articles are welcome, but we will prioritize critical reviews that exclusively analyze high-impact studies from 2019 to 2025 to reflect China’s rapid progress in heterogeneous catalysis and highlight future directions.

We look forward to your contributions in shaping this landmark Special Issue.

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).

Prof. Dr. Lin Guo
Prof. Dr. Botao Qiao
Dr. Xiangting Min
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

  • heterogeneous catalysis
  • catalyst design
  • CO2 conversion
  • single-atom catalysts
  • environmental catalysis
  • AI-guided catalyst discovery
  • sustainable energy technologies
  • industrial decarbonization
  • in situ characterization
  • mechanism research

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 2255 KB  
Article
Mechanism Investigation of Solvent Effect on Selective Decomposition of Formic Acid
by Zheyuan Zhang, Jianrong Shan, Feng Shen, Fukuan Li and Haixin Guo
Catalysts 2025, 15(12), 1112; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal15121112 - 29 Nov 2025
Viewed by 56
Abstract
The selective decomposition of formic acid to hydrogen gas represents a highly promising strategy for sustainable energy production. The influence of solvent effects on the selective decomposition of formic acid into H2 and CO2 or H2O and CO was [...] Read more.
The selective decomposition of formic acid to hydrogen gas represents a highly promising strategy for sustainable energy production. The influence of solvent effects on the selective decomposition of formic acid into H2 and CO2 or H2O and CO was investigated. A variety of solvents, including polar protic solvents (e.g., water, ethanol, methanol), polar aprotic solvents (e.g., tetrahydrofuran, dimethyl sulfoxide), and ionic liquids, were employed in conjunction with a 5 wt% Pd/C catalyst. The yield of formic acid decomposition and the turnover number (TON) were found to be dependent on the choice of solvent. To elucidate the solvent effects, classical solvent parameters and Kamlet–Taft solvatochromic parameters were studied. The study revealed correlations between the TON and the solubility of hydrogen, Kamlet–Taft parameters (acidity, basicity, and polarity/dipolarity), hydrogen bond donor (HBD) capability, and hydrogen bond acceptor (HBA) capacity. The solvent identity was found to play a dominant role in both the polarity/dipolarity and the catalytic mechanism of formic acid decomposition. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Heterogeneous Catalysis in China: New Horizons and Recent Advances)
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16 pages, 17098 KB  
Article
Facile Preparation of High-Performance Non-Enzymatic Glucose Sensors Based on Au/CuO Nanocomposites
by Lian Ma, Tao Wang, Hao Mei, Yuhao You, Zhandong Lin, Weishuang Li, Bojie Li, Silin Kang and Lei Zhu
Catalysts 2025, 15(11), 1020; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal15111020 - 30 Oct 2025
Viewed by 383
Abstract
Non-enzymatic glucose sensing has attracted considerable interest as a promising alternative to enzyme-based sensors, addressing limitations such as poor stability and high cost. To overcome the challenges of expensive noble metals and the inherent issues of pure copper oxide (CuO), including low conductivity [...] Read more.
Non-enzymatic glucose sensing has attracted considerable interest as a promising alternative to enzyme-based sensors, addressing limitations such as poor stability and high cost. To overcome the challenges of expensive noble metals and the inherent issues of pure copper oxide (CuO), including low conductivity and aggregation tendency, this study developed a composite sensing material based on two-dimensional CuO nanosheets decorated with gold nanoparticles (Au NPs). A series of Au/CuO nanocomposites with varying Au loadings were synthesized through a combined hydrothermal and in situ reduction approach. Systematic electrochemical characterization revealed that the composite with 7.41 wt% Au loading exhibited optimal sensing performance, achieving sensitivities of 394.29 and 257.14 μA·mM−1·cm−2 across dual linear ranges of 5–3550 μM and 4550–11,550 μM, respectively, with a detection limit of 10 μM and a rapid response time of 3 s. The sensor also demonstrated selectivity against common interferents as well as long-term stability. This work highlights the importance of precise noble metal loading control in optimizing sensor performance and offers a feasible material design strategy for developing high-performance non-enzymatic glucose sensors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Heterogeneous Catalysis in China: New Horizons and Recent Advances)
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10 pages, 2438 KB  
Article
Atomically Dispersed Rhodium on TiO2 for Tandem Hydrogenation–H/D Exchange of Cinnamic Acid
by Fatima Asif, Shu-Xian Li, Xiang-Ting Min, Wen-Ting Zhang and Botao Qiao
Catalysts 2025, 15(11), 1014; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal15111014 - 29 Oct 2025
Viewed by 635
Abstract
An atomically dispersed rhodium on TiO2 catalyst enables a tandem process, combining hydrogenative reduction with α,β-hydrogen–deuterium exchange of cinnamic acid, in which D2O serves as the deuterium source. In contrast with previous reductive deuteration methods that yield [...] Read more.
An atomically dispersed rhodium on TiO2 catalyst enables a tandem process, combining hydrogenative reduction with α,β-hydrogen–deuterium exchange of cinnamic acid, in which D2O serves as the deuterium source. In contrast with previous reductive deuteration methods that yield only partially labeled 3-phenylpropanoic acids (Dα-inc.: ≤50%, Dβ-inc.: ≤50%), this heterogeneous system delivers near-quantitative deuterium incorporation (Dα-inc.: 94%, Dβ-inc.: 99%) under mild conditions, outperforming Rh nanoparticles and homogeneous Rh catalysts. Mechanistic studies indicate that α-C–H activation is the slowest transformation step within the overall process, owing to the exceptional C–H bond activation capability of the atomically dispersed catalyst; efficient α-C–H hydrogen–deuterium exchange is readily achieved. In addition, although catalyst recyclability is constrained by Rh aggregation, no Rh leaching is detected. This work provides a concise, operationally simple route to alkyl fully deuterated 3-phenylpropanoic acids (d4-PA) and showcases the application of an atomically dispersed catalyst in tackling challenging deuterium-labeling transformations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Heterogeneous Catalysis in China: New Horizons and Recent Advances)
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26 pages, 6796 KB  
Article
The Green Preparation of ZrO2-Modified WO3-SiO2 Composite from Rice Husk and Its Excellent Oxidative Desulfurization Performance
by Hao Li, Xiaorong Xiang, Yinhai Zhang, Huiqing Cheng, Qian Chen, Xiang Li, Feng Wu and Xiaoxue Liu
Catalysts 2025, 15(10), 996; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal15100996 - 19 Oct 2025
Viewed by 744
Abstract
Recently, the resource utilization of agricultural biomass wastes for the preparation of a wide range of high-value-added chemicals and functional materials, especially heterogeneous catalysts, has received extensive attention from researchers. In this work, mesoporous WO3/ZrO2-SiO2 catalysts are prepared [...] Read more.
Recently, the resource utilization of agricultural biomass wastes for the preparation of a wide range of high-value-added chemicals and functional materials, especially heterogeneous catalysts, has received extensive attention from researchers. In this work, mesoporous WO3/ZrO2-SiO2 catalysts are prepared by a two-step incipient-wetness impregnation method using agricultural biomass waste rice husk (RH) as both the silicon source and mesoporous template. The effects of different WO3 and ZrO2 loadings on the oxidative desulfurization (ODS) performance of samples are investigated, and the suitable WO3 and ZrO2 loadings are 11 and 30%, respectively. The relevant characterization results indicate that, compared to 11%WO3/SiO2, the introduction of ZrO2 leads to the formation of stronger W-O-Zr bonds, which makes the tungsten species stabilized in the state of W6+. The strong preferential interaction between Zr and W facilitates the formation of stable and highly dispersed WOx clusters on the mesoporous ZrO2-SiO2 carrier. Furthermore, it also prevents the formation of WO3 crystallites, significantly reducing their content and thus inhibiting the loss of the WO3 component during cycling experiments. Therefore, the 11%WO3/30%ZrO2-SiO2 sample shows excellent catalytic activity and recycling performance (DBT conversion reaches 99.2% after 8 cycles, with a turnover frequency of 12.7 h–1; 4,6-DMDBT conversion reaches 99.0% after 7 cycles, with a turnover frequency of 6.3 h–1). The kinetics of the ODS reactions are further investigated. The mechanism of the ODS reaction is explored through experiments involving leaching, quenching, and the capture of the active intermediate. Finally, a possible reaction mechanism for the ODS process for the 11%WO3/30%ZrO2-SiO2 sample is proposed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Heterogeneous Catalysis in China: New Horizons and Recent Advances)
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