Tribocatalytic Utilization of Mechanical Energy by Materials and Technologies for Energy and Environmental Challenges

A special issue of Catalysts (ISSN 2073-4344).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2026 | Viewed by 906

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School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Xi’an Polytechnic University, Xi'an 710600, China
Interests: pyrocatalysis; piezocatalysis; tribocatalysis; dye degradation
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

As a basic form of energy, mechanical energy is indispensable in many chemical processes. As for the mechanism behind it, it is generally believed that mechanical energy promotes chemical reactions through increasing temperature and/or breaking chemical bonds of reactants. Only a few years ago, the first genuine tribocatalytic process was established, in which solid materials absorb mechanical energy through friction and convert it into chemical energy, while increasing the temperature or breaking chemical bonds in the solid materials in friction is no longer necessary. This represented a novel method to input mechanical energy into chemical reactions, and quickly inspired studies on tribocatalytic utilization of mechanical energy for numerous applications in recent years, including dye wastewater treatment, carbon dioxide reduction, hydrogen peroxide synthesis, lithium-ion recovery, nitrogen fixation, and uranium extraction, which all directly address energy and environmental challenges. It is clear that via tribocatalysis, mechanical energy will play a more and more crucial role in building a more sustainable world.

The Special Issue, "Tribocatalytic Utilization of Mechanical Energy by Materials and Technologies for Energy and Environmental Challenges", explores some of the most recent progress and innovations in this rapidly growing field. It is a platform for researchers, scientists, and engineers to present their latest discoveries regarding tribocatalysts and tribocatalytic processes that promote environmental improvement and clean energy production.

We cordially invite you to submit original research articles, review papers, and short communications contributing to the comprehension and advancement of newly emerging tribocatalysis methods. Together, we can contribute to the realization of a greener and more sustainable future.

Prof. Dr. Wanping Chen
Prof. Dr. Zheng Wu
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • tribocatalysis
  • dye degradation
  • CO2 reduction
  • wastewater treatment
  • AOP

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

12 pages, 7868 KB  
Article
Surprising Tribocatalytic Production of H2 from H2O by Silicon Single Crystals via Low-Speed Magnetic Stirring
by Jianqing Zhou, Xiaodong Cui, Jie Zhang, Senhua Ke, Linfeng Fei, Lun Yang and Wanping Chen
Catalysts 2026, 16(6), 523; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal16060523 - 5 Jun 2026
Viewed by 415
Abstract
A surprising tribocatalytic capability has been discovered for Si single crystals to convert mechanical energy into chemical energy for organic dye degradation recently. In this study, their tribocatalytic capability has been explored for converting mechanical energy into chemical energy of water splitting. In [...] Read more.
A surprising tribocatalytic capability has been discovered for Si single crystals to convert mechanical energy into chemical energy for organic dye degradation recently. In this study, their tribocatalytic capability has been explored for converting mechanical energy into chemical energy of water splitting. In glass reactors with Si single crystals coated on the bottoms and with H2O and N2 enclosed, Al2O3 nanoparticles, TiO2 nanoparticles, and NiO particles were stimulated through magnetic stirring using home-made PTFE magnetic rotary disks separately. For Al2O3 nanoparticles, as much as 14,330 and 41,964 ppm H2 were produced after 1 and 3 h of 400 rpm magnetic stirring, respectively, much higher than those obtained for TiO2 and NiO, and for Al2O3 nanoparticles in glass-bottomed reactors as well. The tribocatalytic production of H2 was further explored with respect to NaCl addition to H2O and p/n doping in Si, with negative effects observed for them all. Photoluminescence spectroscopy revealed continuous generation of hydroxyl radicals in the course of magnetic stirring, which supports a tribocatalytic mechanism based on the excitation of electron–hole pairs in Si single crystals through mechanical energy absorbed through friction. These findings suggest a great potential for narrow-band semiconductors to utilize mechanical energy through friction to carry out important chemical reactions. Full article
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