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Advanced Photo/Electrocatalysts for Energy Conversion and Environmental Applications, 3rd Edition
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Advanced Photo/Electrocatalysts for Energy Conversion and Environmental Applications, 3rd Edition

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Photochemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 June 2026 | Viewed by 1875

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Ruowen Liang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Fujian Province University Key Laboratory of Green Energy and Environment Catalysis, Ningde Normal University, Ningde, China
Interests: metal–organic frameworks; environmental catalysis; chemical conversion of solar energy; dynamics of photogenerated carriers; interface engineering
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Dengrong Sun

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Carbon Neutrality Future Technology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
Interests: MOF; COF; nanomaterials; green synthesis; carbon recycling

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Following the success of the first and second editions of this Special Issue, we are launching a third edition titled “Advanced Photo/Electrocatalysts for Energy Conversion and Environmental Applications, 3rd Edition”, which is now open for submissions from selected experts in this field.

https://www.mdpi.com/journal/molecules/special_issues/E8W3J98H52
https://www.mdpi.com/journal/molecules/special_issues/EC86FJ235O

Photocatalysis and electrocatalysis are advanced techniques that transform solar energy into sustainable fuel and degrade pollutants through semiconductor-based catalysts. The main scientific and technological challenges lie in improving the stability, robustness, and efficiency of these catalytic systems. For practical applications, developments in energy conversion (i.e., hydrogen evolution, CO2 reduction, and selective synthesis) and environmental remediation (i.e., air purification, antibacterial activity, and wastewater treatment) using highly efficient and durable catalysts are essential. This Special Issue offers an opportunity for the publication of original research regarding the design and synthesis of novel photocatalytic and photoelectrocatalytic materials and their applications in clean energy conversion and environmental protection.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Photocatalytic performance;
  • Photocatalytic semiconductor materials;
  • Metal–organic frameworks;
  • Mechanisms of photocatalytic process;
  • Novel photo/electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution and CO2 conversion;
  • Coupling systems between organic conversion and hydrogen evolution or CO2 conversion.

Dr. Ruowen Liang
Prof. Dr. Dengrong Sun
Guest Editors

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.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Molecules is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 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

  • photocatalyst
  • electrocatalysis
  • nanostructured materials
  • surface/interface regulation
  • environment
  • energy

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Related Special Issues

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

26 pages, 2149 KB  
Article
Induced Hydroxylation on Exfoliated Boron Nitride: Photocatalytic and Adsorptive Properties
by María Mónica Hernández-Orozco, Fabiola Hernández-Rosas, Rusbel Eduardo Trinidad-Urbina and Rafael Ramírez-Bon
Molecules 2026, 31(10), 1616; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules31101616 - 11 May 2026
Viewed by 361
Abstract
Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) is a chemically stable two-dimensional material whose wide band gap and low surface reactivity limit its performance in adsorption and photocatalysis, motivating strategies to tailor its structure. In this work, a mechanochemical approach combining high-energy ball milling with NaOH-assisted [...] Read more.
Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) is a chemically stable two-dimensional material whose wide band gap and low surface reactivity limit its performance in adsorption and photocatalysis, motivating strategies to tailor its structure. In this work, a mechanochemical approach combining high-energy ball milling with NaOH-assisted treatment was used to induce simultaneous exfoliation and hydroxylation of h-BN, promoting defect generation, reduced crystallinity, interlayer expansion, and incorporation of oxygen-containing groups (B-OH and B-O). These modifications led to band gap narrowing, increased surface polarity, and improved dispersion, enabling the formation of heterogeneous active sites. The hydroxylated material (BN-OH) exhibited high adsorption capacities of 248 mg/g for methylene blue (MB) and 215 mg/g for rhodamine 6G (R6G), following Freundlich behavior, indicative of heterogeneous adsorption governed by electrostatic interactions, π–π stacking, hydrogen bonding, and defect-mediated sites. Under solar irradiation, BN-OH achieved up to 99% degradation of both dyes, following predominantly pseudo-first-order kinetics and outperforming pristine BN; additionally, the kinetic behavior under solar conditions was successfully described using the Behnajady–Modirshahla–Ghanbary (BMG) model, which accurately predicts the two-stage degradation process. Scavenger experiments revealed that ⦁OH radicals dominate MB degradation, while ⦁OH, O2⦁−, and h+ contribute to R6G removal. Overall, defect engineering and hydroxyl functionalization synergistically enhance photocatalytic performance, providing a scalable strategy for wastewater treatment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Photo/Electrocatalysts for Energy Conversion and Environmental Applications, 3rd Edition)
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11 pages, 2251 KB  
Article
Modulating the Structure of Graphitic Carbon Nitride for Accelerated Charge Separation and Enhanced Hydrogen Evolution
by Kaijie Zhang, Yule Sun, Liuping Zheng, Guiyang Yan and Lu Chen
Molecules 2026, 31(9), 1458; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules31091458 - 28 Apr 2026
Viewed by 491
Abstract
Graphitic carbon nitride (CN) is considered a promising metal-free photocatalyst due to its adjustable electronic band structure and straightforward synthesis. Nevertheless, the practical utility of pristine CN is hindered by its rapid carrier recombination rate and low electrical conductivity. In this study, we [...] Read more.
Graphitic carbon nitride (CN) is considered a promising metal-free photocatalyst due to its adjustable electronic band structure and straightforward synthesis. Nevertheless, the practical utility of pristine CN is hindered by its rapid carrier recombination rate and low electrical conductivity. In this study, we enhanced CN’s molecular structure through copolymerization with organic molecules, thereby optimizing its crystallinity, resulting in significant improvements. The optimized photocatalyst, termed CNBM, demonstrated a remarkable hydrogen evolution rate of 23.13 mmol·h−1·g−1, a 118-fold increase compared to CN, with an apparent quantum efficiency of 87.9% at 420 nm. This notable enhancement in photocatalytic performance can be attributed to the increased surface area, providing more active sites, and the incorporation of barbituric acid through copolymerization into the CN framework, facilitating electron delocalization. Furthermore, the enhanced crystallinity of CNBM promotes the effective separation of photogenerated electron–hole pairs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Photo/Electrocatalysts for Energy Conversion and Environmental Applications, 3rd Edition)
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13 pages, 2473 KB  
Article
Rational Design of PCN/Ce-MOF S-Scheme Heterojunction for Highly Efficient Synergistically Photocatalytic H2 Evolution and Tetracycline Degradation
by Quan Xiang, Linzhu Zhang, Lu Chen, Ruowen Liang, Renkun Huang and Guiyang Yan
Molecules 2026, 31(4), 740; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules31040740 - 21 Feb 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 677
Abstract
Catalytic systems that couple pollutant degradation with hydrogen evolution have attracted significant attention due to their potential to simultaneously address environmental and energy issues. In this study, an S-scheme heterojunction composed of lamellar polymeric carbon nitride (PCN) anchored with a rod-like cerium metal–organic [...] Read more.
Catalytic systems that couple pollutant degradation with hydrogen evolution have attracted significant attention due to their potential to simultaneously address environmental and energy issues. In this study, an S-scheme heterojunction composed of lamellar polymeric carbon nitride (PCN) anchored with a rod-like cerium metal–organic framework (Ce-MOF) was successfully synthesized via a facile one-step oxidation method, enabling efficient visible-light-driven photocatalytic hydrogen evolution and simultaneous tetracycline degradation. The optimized PCN/Ce-MOF composite delivers a hydrogen production rate of 495.7 μmol g−1 h−1 and achieves a tetracycline removal efficiency of 78%. Such excellent performance is attributed to the charge transfer mechanism of the S-scheme heterojunction in the PCN-Ce-MOF composite during the reaction process, while retaining the intrinsic redox capabilities of both materials. Meanwhile, mechanistic studies reveal that tetracycline can effectively capture holes during its efficient degradation, inhibit electron–hole recombination, and promote proton reduction to generate hydrogen. This investigation provides valuable insights for the rational design of S-scheme heterojunction photocatalysts, aiming to achieve efficient and stable photocatalytic hydrogen production and synergistic degradation of organic pollutants. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Photo/Electrocatalysts for Energy Conversion and Environmental Applications, 3rd Edition)
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