Advances in Electrocatalyst Materials for Sustainable Applications

A Special Issue of Crystals (ISSN 2073-4352) belonging to the section "Materials for Energy Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 November 2026 | Viewed by 1753

Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Materials Chemistry, University of Santiago of Chile, Santiago, Chile
Interests: clctrochemistry; electrocatalysis; bioelecctrochemistry; spetroscopy; crystallography

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor Assistant
Department of Materials Chemistry, University of Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile
Interests: heterogeneous catalysis; electrocatalysis; carbon-based nanomaterials; nanoparticles

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

As the Guest Editor for the Special Issue “Advances in Electrocatalyst Materials for Sustainable Applications”, by Crystals (MDPI, https://www.mdpi.com/journal/crystals), I am pleased to invite you to contribute a review or research article, given your significant academic expertise in this field.

The Special Issue aims to provide a platform for disseminating advancements in diverse nanomaterials. These materials include metal oxides, metal–organic frameworks, carbon-based substances, pyrolyzed catalysts, and noble metal nanoparticles, among others. The focus is on their application in electrocatalysis for a wide range of reactions in both organic and aqueous media. Additionally, this Special Issue seeks to enhance the use of these materials to advance materials science, with a particular emphasis on promoting environmental sustainability. It aims to provide readers with efficient and eco-friendly alternatives that contribute to scientific progress and social development.

Dr. Federico Tasca
Guest Editor

Dr. César A. Zúñiga
Guest Editor Assistant

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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2100 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

  • crystals
  • carbon nanomaterials
  • electrocatalysts
  • sustainability
  • circular
  • energy conversion devices
  • hydrogen economy
  • renewable sources

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

18 pages, 3168 KB  
Article
Au–NiZn/Ti Electrocatalyst for Efficient Sodium Borohydride Oxidation
by Tripura Ganti, Aldona Balčiūnaitė, Huma Amber, Giedrius Stalnionis, Jūratė Vaičiūnienė, Loreta Tamašauskaitė-Tamašiūnaitė and Eugenijus Norkus
Crystals 2026, 16(2), 129; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst16020129 - 10 Feb 2026
Viewed by 1121
Abstract
Direct borohydride fuel cells (DBFCs) are emerging as a promising source of clean energy; however, their performance depends heavily on efficient anode catalysts for the oxidation reaction of sodium borohydride (BOR). In this study, we developed and tested the Au–NiZn/Ti electrocatalyst designed to [...] Read more.
Direct borohydride fuel cells (DBFCs) are emerging as a promising source of clean energy; however, their performance depends heavily on efficient anode catalysts for the oxidation reaction of sodium borohydride (BOR). In this study, we developed and tested the Au–NiZn/Ti electrocatalyst designed to improve the performance of DBFCs. Electrodeposition and alkaline leaching were utilized to transform a zinc-rich nickel coating into a porous dendritic structure on a titanium substrate. By adding a small amount of gold crystallites through galvanic displacement, the surface roughness and the number of active sites available for the reaction were significantly increased. Electrochemical tests confirmed that this modification enhances BOR and effectively suppresses unwanted side reactions like hydrogen evolution. The resulting catalyst demonstrated high stability, maintaining over 88% of its current density during extended operation. Ultimately, the study positions this gold-modified material as a cost-effective and durable solution for clean energy conversion technologies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Electrocatalyst Materials for Sustainable Applications)
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