Applications of Two-Dimensional Layered Nanomaterials in Electrochemical Energy

Dear Colleagues,

Since atomic layered graphene was successfully isolated by mechanical exfoliation in 2004, it has been widely studied in catalysis applications due to its excellent physical, chemical, and mechanical properties (such as high thermal conductivity (~4000 Wm^-1), high carrier mobility (2 × 10⁵ cm² V^–1 s^–1), high specific surface area (>2,600 m²g^-1), and high tensile strength (130 GPa)). However, the pristine graphene is poorly active in catalysis reactions due to the low density of states at Fermi level, thus hindering its practical applications. Consequently, the rapid development of graphene-based catalysts is focused on the increase of the electronic state and the active site by employing physical concepts or heteroatom doping. For example, by controlling the graphene size, the number of layers, defect density, surface curvature, and adding heteroatom dopants, the increase in electronic state or active site can significantly enhance the catalysis reaction. With breakthroughs in research on graphene-based catalysts, other graphene-like two-dimensional (2D) materials such as transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), transition metal oxides, and other 2D compounds have also attracted great attention. Up to now, 2D layered nanomaterials have been widely investigated in the fields of electrochemical energy (such as dye-sensitized solar cells, supercapacitors, water-splitting cells, and energy storage devices).

However, there are many challenges that need to be overcome to achieve commercial applications in 2D material-based catalysts. To update the latest development of 2D material-based catalysts, this Special Issue welcomes both reviews and original research articles in the field of electrochemical energy based on 2D layered nanomaterials.

Prof. Dr. Dung-sheng Tsai
Prof. Dr. Long Hu
Guest Editors

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