Exclusive Feature Papers in Catalytic Materials

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 July 2025 | Viewed by 1930

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The development of catalytic materials is one of the most active research areas in the field of catalysis. Catalytic materials must provide an adequate response in several aspects, including competitive reaction rates, high selectivity towards desired products, and appropriate levels of reusability and stability, among others.

Optimizing these parameters for each catalytic application requires appropriate research schemes that include the synthesis of novel materials, the development of new preparation methods or the optimization of existing ones, the development of advanced characterization schemes (in situ/operando), and the design of efficient reaction schemes and reactors.

In addition to a wide range of applications that most of the specialized literature defines as “traditional catalysis”, several novel schemes have been proposed in recent years. Technologies such as photocatalysis, electrocatalysis, microwave-assisted catalysis, and ultrasound-assisted catalysis, among other alternative schemes, have opened up new pathways and expanded the need for catalytic materials.

Moreover, combined energy schemes are also a relatively new approach that require a significant leap in terms of the development of catalytic materials. Photothermal/thermo-photocatalysis, electro-photocatalysis, or piezo-photocatalysis are just some examples that drive researchers to intensively develop new catalytic materials with optimized properties for specific applications.

This Special Issue aims to attract relevant articles related to all areas of catalytic materials. The research scope of this Special Issue includes, but is not limited to, the following:

  • Synthesis and design of new catalytic materials;
  • Developing and optimizing novel preparation protocols;
  • Advanced characterization approaches;
  • Development of advanced or sustainable catalytic processes;
  • Development of industrial applications of catalysis;
  • Modeling and simulation of catalytic processes.

These research lines represent just some examples of the broad spectrum of topics that can be addressed in the field of catalytic materials.

We invite researchers to contribute their findings and advancements to this Special Issue, with the aim of fostering knowledge exchange and promoting the development of innovative and sustainable catalytic materials and processes.

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. Mario J. Muñoz Batista
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

  • new catalytic materials
  • novel preparation methods
  • characterization of catalysts
  • sustainable catalytic processes
  • industrial applications of catalysis

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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21 pages, 2711 KiB  
Article
The Catalytic Performance of Metal-Oxide-Based Catalysts in the Synthesis of Glycerol Carbonate: Toward the Green Valorization of Glycerol
by Mirna Lea Charif, Rami Doukeh and Dragos Mihael Ciuparu
Catalysts 2025, 15(6), 534; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal15060534 - 27 May 2025
Abstract
The rising concern over carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions has led to increased research on its conversion into value-added chemicals. Glycerol carbonate (GC), a versatile and eco-friendly compound, can be synthesized via the catalytic carbonylation of glycerol with CO2. This [...] Read more.
The rising concern over carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions has led to increased research on its conversion into value-added chemicals. Glycerol carbonate (GC), a versatile and eco-friendly compound, can be synthesized via the catalytic carbonylation of glycerol with CO2. This study investigates the catalytic performance of three novel mixed metal oxide catalysts, Ti-Al-Mg, Ti-Cr-Mg, and Ti-Fe-Mg, synthesized via co-precipitation. The catalysts were characterized using XRD, SEM, XPS, CO2-TPD, FTIR, TGA-DTG, and nitrogen adsorption–desorption isotherms. Among the tested systems, Ti-Al-Mg demonstrated the highest surface area, optimal porosity, and a balanced acid–base profile, resulting in superior catalytic activity. Under optimized conditions (175 °C, 10 bar CO2, 4 h), Ti-Al-Mg achieved a maximum GC yield of 36.1%, outperforming Ti-Cr-Mg and Ti-Fe-Mg. The improved performance was attributed to the synergistic effects of its physicochemical properties, including high magnesium content and lower CO2 binding energy, which favored CO2 activation and glycerol conversion while minimizing side reactions. These findings highlight the potential of tailored mixed metal oxide systems for efficient CO2 immobilization and sustainable glycerol valorization. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exclusive Feature Papers in Catalytic Materials)

Review

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34 pages, 6093 KiB  
Review
Cobalt Decarbonization Catalysts Turning Methane to Clean Hydrogen and Valuable Carbon Nanostructures: A Review
by Elpida Zeza, Eleni Pachatouridou, Angelos A. Lappas and Eleni F. Iliopoulou
Catalysts 2025, 15(2), 145; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal15020145 - 4 Feb 2025
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Abstract
The continuous growth in world energy demands along with the urgent need for decarbonization are strong motivations for the development and usage of sustainable fuels. Hydrogen is highly anticipated to replace fossil fuels in energy production, as it is one of the cleanest [...] Read more.
The continuous growth in world energy demands along with the urgent need for decarbonization are strong motivations for the development and usage of sustainable fuels. Hydrogen is highly anticipated to replace fossil fuels in energy production, as it is one of the cleanest energy sources with high energy density per weight. Among the hydrogen production methods, catalytic methane pyrolysis (CMP) stands out as it can contribute to the decarbonization process, since the only co-products include valuable carbon structures and no greenhouse emissions. Cobalt has been shown to be a competent metallic catalytic material with high activity in relation to hydrogen production and selectivity towards valuable carbon nanotubes (CNTs), or carbon nanofibers (CNFs). This review article aims to offer insights relevant to future developments in CMP, by reporting the advantages of methane decomposition over cobalt catalysts. It provides a summary of the factors that influence both hydrogen yield and carbon growth. More specifically, the impacts of different metal loadings and the benefits of utilizing both support carriers and bimetallic systems are addressed. Last but not least, the findings on the most efficient preparation procedures and the optimum operating conditions are also revealed, as supported by published experimental data. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exclusive Feature Papers in Catalytic Materials)
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