Hydrogenation Catalysis

Dear Colleagues,

Hydrogenation encompasses a wide variety of industrially important reactions that involve reduction in a molecule via the addition of hydrogen. It has been widely applied in academic laboratories and frequently used in the chemical industry for the cost-efficient preparation of diverse fine and bulk chemicals. Although simple substrates are hydrogenated with Raney nickel, industrial hydrogenations of functionalized substrates often rely on noble-metal-based catalysts. However, due to the high price and limited availability of precious metals, a need exists to develop alternative catalysts based on more abundant metals. Moreover, compared with molecularly defined homogeneous catalysts, heterogeneous materials are preferred due to the ease of isolation and recyclability.

Another key issue in hydrogenation is that undesired byproducts are inevitably generated due to over-hydrogenation. Without a proper catalyst, hydrogenation would require higher temperatures and pressures; therefore, rationally designed high-performance catalyst systems are essential to ensure high selectivity and yield under mild reaction conditions. More recently, a number of advanced crystalline catalysts with high atomic utilization have been reported as they can further address issues related to selectivity and activity. Crystals provides a forum for the advancement of our understanding of the nucleation, growth, processing, and characterization of crystalline and liquid crystalline materials. In this Special Issue, we will cover a range of hydrogenation reactions based on rationally designed crystalline catalytic materials, with detailed material characterizations through modern techniques for crystal growth, crystalline surface, and structural properties. The hydrogenation reactions include but are not limited to hydrogenation of CO to higher alcohols, Fischer−Tropsch synthesis, hydrogenation of CO₂ to higher value-added chemicals, synthesis of hydrogen peroxide, selective hydrogenation of alkynes and aromatic compounds, etc. 

Dr. Zhijun Li
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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• selective hydrogenation
• CO hydrogenation
• CO₂ hydrogenation
• catalytic activity
• selectivity
• atomic utilization
• elemental composition
• catalysts synthetic strategies