Advanced Catalytic Materials for CO2 Conversion: From Electrocatalysis to Photocatalysis

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2026 | Viewed by 565

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Embrapa Instrumentação, 1452 XV de Novembro Street, São Carlos 13560-970, Brazil
Interests: photocatalysis; photoelectrocatalysis; water decontamination; CO2 photoreduction; CH4 photooxidation
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Guest Editor
Laboratory of Photochemistry and Materials Science, Institute of Chemistry, Federal University of Uberlândia (UFU), João Naves de Ávila, Uberlândia 38400-902, MG, Brazil
Interests: development of functional materials, including catalyst active for CO2 reduction reaction and organic pollutant degradation using photocatalysis and electrocatalysis

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The continuous rise in atmospheric CO2 levels is one of the greatest challenges of our time, intensifying the global demand for sustainable strategies to mitigate climate change. Among the most promising approaches is the catalytic conversion of CO2 into value-added fuels and chemicals using renewable energy. In this context, the development of efficient electrocatalysts and photocatalysts has gained substantial attention.

This Special Issue aims to showcase recent advances in the design and engineering of novel materials for CO2 electroreduction and photoreduction. We invite scholars to submit contributions that explore how structural, electronic, and compositional modifications—such as doping, defect engineering, formation of heterostructures, and development of metal alloys—can enhance catalytic activity, selectivity, and durability.

Original research articles, reviews, and theoretical studies are welcome in areas including, but not limited to, the following:

  • Rational design and synthesis of advanced materials for CO2 reduction;
  • Influence of doping, defects, and alloying on catalytic performance;
  • Heterojunctions and nanostructured interfaces for improved charge separation;
  • Mechanistic and operando studies of CO2 electro- and photocatalytic systems;
  • Integration of catalysts into photoelectrochemical or electrochemical devices.

By bringing together experimental and theoretical insights across materials science, chemistry, and energy engineering, this Special Issue seeks to foster the development of next-generation catalytic systems for efficient and sustainable CO2 utilization.

Dr. Caue Ribeiro
Dr. Osmando F. Lopes
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • electrocatalysis
  • photocatalysis
  • CO2 reduction
  • material engineering
  • doped catalysts
  • heterostructures
  • metal alloys
  • nanomaterials

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

19 pages, 4946 KiB  
Article
Preparation of Cu-La Bimetallic Catalysts by Electrodeposition for the Electrocatalytic Promotion of CO2 to CH4
by Caidong Du, Wenwei Wu, Jiangtao Shang and Keyi Xiang
Catalysts 2025, 15(7), 623; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal15070623 - 25 Jun 2025
Viewed by 461
Abstract
Methane (CH4) has attracted much attention regarding its use in electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO2RR) due to its high mass-energy density; however, the uneven adsorption of intermediates on copper sites by conventional Cu-based catalysts limits the selective production [...] Read more.
Methane (CH4) has attracted much attention regarding its use in electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO2RR) due to its high mass-energy density; however, the uneven adsorption of intermediates on copper sites by conventional Cu-based catalysts limits the selective production of CH4. The introduction of a second metal can effectively regulate the adsorption energy of intermediates on the Cu site. In this paper, a method of alloying Cu with oxyphilic metals (M) using rapid electrodeposition is presented; the synergistic effect of the bimetal effectively directed the reaction pathway toward CH4. The best Faraday efficiency for methane occurred in the optimized Cu30La20 electrode, reaching 66.9% at −1.7 V vs. RHE potential. In situ infrared testing revealed that the *CHO intermediate—a critical species for the electrocatalytic conversion of CO2 to CH4—was detected on the Cu30La20 catalytic electrode. However, no *CHO intermediate was observed on the Cu20La30 electrode. Instead, the characteristic peak of the *OCCHO intermediate associated with C-C coupling emerged on the Cu20La30 catalyst. This indicates that the adsorbed oxygen-containing groups on lanthanum sites reacted with carbon-containing groups on copper sites to form C2 products, serving as the primary reason for the shift in reduction products from methane to ethylene. Full article
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