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Heterogeneous Catalysis Towards a Sustainable Future: Energy Conversion and Green Synthesis

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Physical Chemistry and Chemical Physics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 September 2026 | Viewed by 1165

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Institute of Zhejiang University-Quzhou, #99 Zheda Road, Quzhou 324000, China
Interests: applied chemistry; fine chemicals; catalytic materials

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Heterogeneous catalysis has been at the forefront of innovation in modern chemistry, enabling the efficient transformation of feedstocks into energy carriers and high-value chemicals. In the context of the global pursuit of carbon neutrality and sustainable development, heterogeneous catalysis provides a critical foundation for addressing pressing challenges such as greenhouse gas emissions, renewable energy utilization, and fine chemical manufacturing.

In recent years, remarkable advances have been made in the design of catalysts with precisely engineered active sites, ranging from well-defined crystalline facets to atomically dispersed single-metal centers. Alongside these developments, a growing convergence of thermal catalysis, photocatalysis, and electrocatalysis has emerged, expanding catalytic strategies under mild and environmentally friendly conditions. This trend is strongly supported by advances in in situ and operando characterization techniques, which allow us to probe atomic-scale structures and the dynamic evolution of catalysts during reactions.

This Special Issue, entitled "Heterogeneous Catalysis Towards a Sustainable Future: Energy Conversion and Green Synthesis", aims to showcase state-of-the-art research on catalyst design, reaction mechanism understanding, and process engineering for sustainable applications. We invite the submission of original research articles, short communications, and comprehensive reviews covering catalyst construction strategies, CO₂ conversion into fuels and chemicals, C1 chemistry, and the selective synthesis of fine chemicals using renewable feedstocks. Contributions that integrate theory, advanced characterization, and reaction engineering to accelerate the development of efficient, durable, and environmentally benign catalytic systems are particularly encouraged.

Dr. Chen Wu
Guest Editor

Dr. Shaodong Zhou
Co-Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • heterogeneous catalysis
  • CO2 hydrogenation
  • CO2 electroreduction
  • water splitting
  • Fischer-Tropsch synthesis
  • oxidative coupling of methane
  • methane dry reforming
  • green synthesis
  • fine chemicals
  • sustainable energy
  • catalyst design
  • active site engineering
  • single-atom catalysts
  • metal–organic frameworks
  • zeolites
  • nanostructured catalysts
  • in situ and operando characterizations
  • photocatalysis
  • electrocatalysis
  • biomass valorization
  • reaction engineering
  • renewable feedstocks

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 2334 KB  
Article
Synthesis and Investigation of Vanadium-Based Catalysts for the Oxidation of 4-Methylpyridine to Isonicotinic Acid
by Nurdaulet Buzayev, Kairat Kadirbekov and Mels Oshakbayev
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2026, 27(6), 2715; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27062715 - 16 Mar 2026
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Abstract
The study investigates the catalytic activity of vanadium-containing catalysts in the selective oxidation of 4-methylpyridine (4-MP) in the gas phase. V-Cr, V-Ti, and V-Ti-Cr catalysts were synthesised and studied. The phase composition and structural features of the catalysts were determined by X-ray diffraction [...] Read more.
The study investigates the catalytic activity of vanadium-containing catalysts in the selective oxidation of 4-methylpyridine (4-MP) in the gas phase. V-Cr, V-Ti, and V-Ti-Cr catalysts were synthesised and studied. The phase composition and structural features of the catalysts were determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy, and their thermal stability was investigated using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA/DTA). Textural characteristics were evaluated by low-temperature nitrogen adsorption–desorption (BET, BJH), surface morphology was studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the distribution of elements was investigated using energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). The chemical composition of the catalysts was determined using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) and catalytic activity was evaluated in the selective gas-phase oxidation reaction of 4-methylpyridine in the temperature range 280–380 °C. It was found that an increase in temperature is accompanied by an increase in the conversion of 4-methylpyridine, but at the same time, deep oxidation reactions intensify. The best result is achieved on the V-Ti-Cr catalyst, for which the conversion of 4-MP reaches 86.88% and the selectivity is 73.06% at 320 °C. However, V-Ti provides moderate stable performance, while V-Cr demonstrates relatively low efficiency. Thus, it can be concluded that the nature of the temperature dependence of 4-methylpyridine conversion reflects the different nature of the active centres and their stability. Full article
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17 pages, 5583 KB  
Article
Selective Hydrogenation of DMAPN to DMAPA over Supported Ni-Cu Alloy Catalysts
by Liming Shi, Yuheng Liao, Zeng Hong, Jiancheng Ruan, Shaodong Zhou, Chen Wu and Chao Qian
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2026, 27(5), 2486; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27052486 - 8 Mar 2026
Viewed by 477
Abstract
N,N-Dimethyl-1,3-propanediamine (DMAPA) is an important aliphatic diamine widely used in fine chemical manufacturing. Its industrial production traditionally relies on Raney nickel catalysts, which suffer from pyrophoric hazards and limited selectivity due to imine condensation side reactions. To address these challenges, we report an [...] Read more.
N,N-Dimethyl-1,3-propanediamine (DMAPA) is an important aliphatic diamine widely used in fine chemical manufacturing. Its industrial production traditionally relies on Raney nickel catalysts, which suffer from pyrophoric hazards and limited selectivity due to imine condensation side reactions. To address these challenges, we report an Al2O3-supported Ni-Cu alloy catalyst as an efficient alternative for the selective hydrogenation of N,N-dimethylaminopropionitrile (DMAPN). The optimized Ni30Cu5/Al2O3 catalyst achieves complete DMAPN conversion and over 90% DMAPA selectivity under industrially relevant conditions (120 °C, 2.5 MPa H2). X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy analyses confirm the formation of substitutional Ni-Cu alloy nanoparticles, where Cu incorporation induces both geometric isolation of Ni ensembles and electronic modulation of surface active sites, thereby suppressing condensation-derived by-products. In addition, an NH3/ethanol-assisted process further improves selectivity while reducing autogenous operating pressure. Overall, this work demonstrates a safe and highly selective catalytic system for primary diamine synthesis, providing a practical alternative to conventional Raney Ni-based processes. Full article
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