Submit to Catalysts Review for Catalysts Propose a Special Issue

Journal Browser

Memorial Issue Dedicated to Prof. King-Chuen Lin: Palladium-Based Nanocomposites for Photocatalysts, Sensors, and Energy Storage

Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Published Papers

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2023) | Viewed by 10802

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Pitchaimani Veerakumar

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
Interests: nanocatalysis; supercapacitors; electrochemical sensors; energy conversion; metal-free catalysts
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue of Catalysts is dedicated to Prof. King-Chuen Lin (1953–2022), a distinguished Professor of National Taiwan University (NTU), Taiwan. Professor Lin has spent 38 years in the Department of Chemistry of NTU, and he has cultivated the talents of many students in chemistry who have gone on to develop successfully in academia or industry. Professor Lin is a humble person, always greeting people with a smile, and his gentle tone, careful explanations and patient listening to the other party's discussion has impressed everyone who has come into contact with him. In addition, he also takes great care of students, both in life and in schoolwork, and the demeanor of such a warm scholar is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people.

Professor Lin's research results are very fruitful, with 276 academic papers published in internationally renowned chemical journals. He was awarded the Outstanding Research Award of the National Academy of Sciences in 1990-1996; Distinguished Researcher of the National Academy of Sciences in 1996-2002; Tenured Distinguished Professor of NTU in 2006; Academic Award of the Chinese Chemical Society in 2009; Academic Award of the Ministry of Education in 2014; The Richard B. Bernstein Award of the International Conference on Dynamics in 2018; the 23^rd National Lecture Moderator Award of the Ministry of Education in 2019; and many other awards. Thus, Professor Lin has influence the community of chemists across the globe, especially in the field of photo-dissociation, reaction dynamics in gas and condensed phases, atmospheric chemistry, single-molecule spectroscopy, catalysis, energy stoagae, and sensors.

This Special Issue will focus on the most current developments and advancements in the field of Pd-based nanocomposites that are important for photocatalysis, electrochemical sensors, and energy storage.

The development of efficient electrocatalysts has been a top priority in recent years in order to speed up the reaction process and minimize energy consumption. As electrocatalysts, solid-supported Pd-based nanocomposites appear as viable alternatives to the current benchmark for energy conversion, because of their well-developed electronic structure, large surface area, and surface active sites. We also hope to discuss recent advances in environmentally friendly and cost-effective approaches for the synthesis of mono-, bi-, and multi-metallic supported nanocomposites, such as graphene-based materials, carbon nanotubes, semiconductor metal oxides, metal sulfides, graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄), MXene, and other active materials. Electrochemical sensors could be a viable alternative for environmental monitoring, overcoming many of the shortcomings of current analysis methods. In particular, Pd nanoparticles can also provide a preferred Z-scheme transfer pathway for electrons, which can generate higher redox active species. As a result, this Special Issue offers new perspectives on the development of palladium-based nanocomposites for photocatalysts, sensors, and energy storage applications. Furthermore, the current Special Issue will focus on recent advances in the synthesis and characterization of supported Pd nanocatalysts for sustainable applications.

Dr. Pitchaimani Veerakumar
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 2700 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

palladium
semiconductor metal oxide
photocatalysts
electrochemical sensors
energy storage

Published Papers (5 papers)

Download All Papers

Research

Jump to: Review

16 pages, 5432 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Simultaneous Photocatalytic Sugar Conversion and Hydrogen Production Using Pd Nanoparticles Decorated on Iron-Doped Hydroxyapatite

by Chitiphon Chuaicham, Yuto Noguchi, Sulakshana Shenoy, Kaiqian Shu, Jirawat Trakulmututa, Assadawoot Srikhaow, Karthikeyan Sekar and Keiko Sasaki

Catalysts 2023, 13(4), 675; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal13040675 - 30 Mar 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1552

Abstract

Pd nanoparticles (PdNPs) were successfully deposited on the surface of Fe(III)-modified hydroxyapatite (HAp), which was subsequently used as a photocatalyst for simultaneous photocatalytic H₂ evolution and xylose conversion. The structural phase and morphology of the pristine HAp, FeHAp, and Pd@FeHAp were examined using XRD, SEM, and TEM instruments. At 20 °C, Pd@FeHAp provided a greater xylose conversion than pristine HAp and FeHAp, about 2.15 times and 1.41 times, respectively. In addition, lactic acid and formic acid production was increased by using Pd@FeHAp. The optimal condition was further investigated using Pd@FeHAp, which demonstrated around 70% xylose conversion within 60 min at 30 °C. Moreover, only Pd@FeHAp produced H₂ under light irradiation. To clarify the impact of Fe(III) doping in FeHAp and heterojunction between PdNPs and FeHAp in the composite relative to pure Hap, the optical and physicochemical properties of Pd@FeHAp samples were analyzed, which revealed the extraordinary ability of the material to separate and transport photogenerated electron-hole pairs, as demonstrated by a substantial reduction in photoluminescence intensity when compared to Hp and FeHAp. In addition, a decrease in electron trap density in the Pd@FeHAp composite using reversed double-beam photoacoustic spectroscopy was attributed to the higher photocatalytic activity rate. Furthermore, the development of new electronic levels by the addition of Fe(III) to the structure of HAp in FeHAp may improve the ability to absorb light by lessening the energy band gap. The photocatalytic performance of the Pd@FeHAp composite was improved by lowering charge recombination and narrowing the energy band gap. As a result, a newly developed Pd@FeHAp composite might be employed as a photocatalyst to generate both alternative H₂ energy and high-value chemicals. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Memorial Issue Dedicated to Prof. King-Chuen Lin: Palladium-Based Nanocomposites for Photocatalysts, Sensors, and Energy Storage)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

26 pages, 13065 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Synthesis of Activated Porous Carbon from Red Dragon Fruit Peel Waste for Highly Active Catalytic Reduction in Toxic Organic Dyes

by Pitchaimani Veerakumar, Shih-Tung Hung, Pei-Qi Hung and Veeraraghavan Vishnu Priya

Catalysts 2023, 13(2), 449; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal13020449 - 20 Feb 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1992

Abstract

In this study, an alternative precursor for production of biomass-derived activated carbon was introduced using dragon fruit (Hylocereus costaricensis) peels. Chemical activators such as FeCl₃, MgCl_2, ZnCl₂ were used in the thermal carbonization process to convert carbon into porous carbon (PC). However, heteroatom-doped PC catalysts including N-, B-, and P-doped carbon catalysts in the field of dye removal is highly desirable. Several approaches (XRD, FE-SEM/TEM, XPS, FT-IR, EDS, and elemental mapping) were employed to examine the surface morphology, surface properties, and elemental composition of the PC catalyst. The catalytic activity of metal-free PC catalyst was demonstrated for methylene blue (MB), crystal violet (CV), and Nile blue (NB) in a mild environment The corresponding rate constant (k_app) values were estimated as 0.2473, 0.3248, and 0.3056 min⁻¹, respectively, for MB, CV, and NB, which were significantly greater than those of numerous reports. It exhibited the best catalytic activity and recyclability. Moreover, the approach proposed here could create new opportunities for the remediation of organic dyes in lakes and industrial wastewater. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Memorial Issue Dedicated to Prof. King-Chuen Lin: Palladium-Based Nanocomposites for Photocatalysts, Sensors, and Energy Storage)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

14 pages, 6686 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Ni_(1−x)Pd_x Alloyed Nanostructures for Electrocatalytic Conversion of Furfural into Fuels

by Aya Aboukhater, Mohammad Abu Haija, Fawzi Banat, Israa Othman, Muhammad Ashraf Sabri and Bharath Govindan

Catalysts 2023, 13(2), 260; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal13020260 - 23 Jan 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1466

Abstract

A continuous electrocatalytic reactor offers a promising method for producing fuels and value-added chemicals via electrocatalytic hydrogenation of biomass-derived compounds. However, such processes require a better understanding of the impact of different types of active electrodes and reaction conditions on electrocatalytic biomass conversion and product selectivity. In this work, Ni_1−xPd_x (x = 0.25, 0.20, and 0.15) alloyed nanostructures were synthesized as heterogeneous catalysts for the electrocatalytic conversion of furfural. Various analytical tools, including XRD, SEM, EDS, and TEM, were used to characterize the Ni_1−xPd_x catalysts. The alloyed catalysts, with varying Ni to Pd ratios, showed a superior electrocatalytic activity of over 65% for furfural conversion after 4.5 h of reaction. In addition, various experimental parameters on the furfural conversion reactions, including electrolyte pH, furfural (FF) concentration, reaction time, and applied potential, were investigated to tune the hydrogenated products. The results indicated that the production of 2-methylfuran as a primary product (S = 29.78% after 1 h), using Ni_0.85Pd_0.15 electrocatalyst, was attributed to the incorporation of palladium and thus the promotion of water-assisted proton transfer processes. Results obtained from this study provide evidence that alloying a common catalyst, such as Ni with small amounts of Pd metal, can significantly enhance its electrocatalytic activity and selectivity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Memorial Issue Dedicated to Prof. King-Chuen Lin: Palladium-Based Nanocomposites for Photocatalysts, Sensors, and Energy Storage)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

12 pages, 2399 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Pd-Decorated 2D MXene (2D Ti₃C₂Ti_x) as a High-Performance Electrocatalyst for Reduction of Carbon Dioxide into Fuels toward Climate Change Mitigation

by Bharath Govindan, Rajesh Madhu, Mohammad Abu Haija, Fedor V. Kusmartsev and Fawzi Banat

Catalysts 2022, 12(10), 1180; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal12101180 - 06 Oct 2022

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2603

Abstract

Palladium nanoparticles (Pd NPs) have attracted considerable attention recently for their excellent catalytic properties in various catalysis reactions. However, Pd NPs have some drawbacks, including their high cost, susceptibility to deactivation, and the possibility of poisoning by intermediate products. Herein, Pd nanoparticles with an average diameter of 6.5 nm were successfully incorporated on electronically transparent 2D MXene (Ti₃C₂Ti_x) nanosheets (Pd-MXene) by microwave irradiation. Considering the synergetic effects of ultra-fine Pd NPs, together with the intrinsic properties of 2D MXene, the obtained Pd-MXene showed a specific surface area of 97.5 m²g⁻¹ and multiple pore channels that enabled excellent electrocatalytic activity for the reduction of CO₂. Further, the 2D Pd-MXene hybrid nanocatalyst enables selective electroreduction of CO₂ into selective production of CH₃OH in ambient conditions by multiple electron transfer. A detailed explanation of the CO₂RR mechanism is presented, and the faradic efficiency (FE) of CH₃OH is tuned by varying the cell potential. Recyclability studies were conducted to demonstrate the practical application of CO₂ reduction into selective production of CH₃OH. In this study, metal and MXene interfaces were created to achieve a highly selective electroreduction of CO₂ into fuels and other value-added chemical products. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Memorial Issue Dedicated to Prof. King-Chuen Lin: Palladium-Based Nanocomposites for Photocatalysts, Sensors, and Energy Storage)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

32 pages, 6836 KiB

Open AccessReview

Recent Progress in the Application of Palladium Nanoparticles: A Review

by Marwa Alaqarbeh, Syed Farooq Adil, Tamara Ghrear, Mujeeb Khan, Mohammed Bouachrine and Abdulrahman Al-Warthan

Catalysts 2023, 13(10), 1343; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal13101343 - 04 Oct 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2233

Abstract

Palladium (Pd), a noble metal, has unique properties for C-C bond formation in reactions such as the Suzuki and Heck reactions. Besides Pd-based complexes, Pd NPs have also attracted significant attention for applications such as fuel cells, hydrogen storage, and sensors for gases such as H₂ and non-enzymatic glucose, including catalysis. Additionally, Pd NPs are catalysts in environmental treatment to abstract organic and heavy-metal pollutants such as Cr (VI) by converting them to Cr(III). In terms of biological activity, Pd NPs were found to be active against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, where 99.99% of bacteria were destroyed, while PVP-Pd NPs displayed anticancer activity against human breast cancer MCF7. Hence, in this review, we attempted to cover recent progress in the various applications of Pd NPs with emphasis on their application as sensors and catalysts for energy-related and other applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Memorial Issue Dedicated to Prof. King-Chuen Lin: Palladium-Based Nanocomposites for Photocatalysts, Sensors, and Energy Storage)

► Show Figures