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Molecules
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Inorganic/Organic Catalysts: Moving towards an Efficient, Green, and Sustainable Future
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Inorganic/Organic Catalysts: Moving towards an Efficient, Green, and Sustainable Future

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2024) | Viewed by 4703

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Liang Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
Interests: zero/two-dimensional nanomaterials; photoelectric property regulation; photocatalysis; electrocatalysis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Huazhang Guo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Nanochemistry and Nanobiology, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
Interests: nano-photocatalytic materials; carbon quantum dots; photocatalytic degradation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Inorganic and organic catalysts play crucial role in photocatalysis and electrocatalysis. They promote and accelerate these reactions, making them more efficient. However, traditional catalysts often have drawbacks such as environmental pollution and high costs. To address these challenges, researchers are increasingly focusing on the development of new inorganic or organic catalysts. These catalysts can provide high catalytic activity, stability, and environmental friendliness. They can also be designed to be easily recoverable and recyclable, thereby further enhancing their sustainability. As we move towards a greener and more sustainable future, the development of efficient, green, and sustainable new catalysts is essential. This Special Issue will collect the latest advancements in new inorganic/organic catalysts, mainly covering the synthesis of carbon quantum dots (graphene quantum dots), carbon nitrides, and composite materials, as well as organic molecules, polymers, and their applications in photocatalysis and electrocatalysis. We invite you to submit research on all topics related to this Special Issue in the form of full papers, reviews, or communications.

Prof. Dr. Liang Wang
Dr. Huazhang Guo
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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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

  • inorganic nanomaterials
  • organic nanomaterials
  • property regulation
  • photocatalytic
  • electrocatalysis

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 5569 KiB  
Article
Ag2S/Zn2+-Decorated g-C3N4 Type-II Heterojunction with Wide-Spectrum Response: Construction and Photocatalytic Performance in Ciprofloxacin Degradation
by Chengyang Wang, Han Zheng, Ruxue Ma, Xiucheng Zheng and Xinxin Guan
Molecules 2025, 30(7), 1417; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30071417 - 22 Mar 2025
Viewed by 302
Abstract
Antibiotic-based wastewaters seriously endanger human health and damage the ecological environment, and photocatalytic degradation is a desirable strategy for eliminating these contaminants in water. Therefore, developing a proper catalyst for the photodegradation of antibiotics, including ciprofloxacin (CIP), is of great importance. In this [...] Read more.
Antibiotic-based wastewaters seriously endanger human health and damage the ecological environment, and photocatalytic degradation is a desirable strategy for eliminating these contaminants in water. Therefore, developing a proper catalyst for the photodegradation of antibiotics, including ciprofloxacin (CIP), is of great importance. In this study, novel Ag2S/Zn2+-decorated graphitic carbon nitride (AZCN for short) type-II heterojunctions are constructed through a precipitation–calcination procedure. The high porosity with a specific surface area of 133.5 m2 g−1, as well as the positive synergy between Ag2S- and Zn2+-decorated graphitic carbon nitride (abbreviated as ZCN), enhance incident light harvesting, increase the adsorption capacity for reactant molecules, favor mass transfer and promote the separation and transport of photoinduced carriers, therefore improving the degradation efficiency of CIP. Specifically, the degradation efficiency of CIP (50 mL, 10 mg L−1) over 2.5% AZCN (10 mg) is 18.1%, 43.1% and 55.7% within 60 min of irradiation using near-infrared light, visible light and simulated solar light, respectively. Moreover, it displays satisfactory recycling stability and excellent universality. This research not only develops a promising heterojunction photocatalyst but also offers some valuable insights in water remediation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Inorganic/Organic Catalysts: Moving towards an Efficient, Green, and Sustainable Future)
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13 pages, 3972 KiB  
Article
Optimized Sensitivity in Copper(II) Ion Detection: Sustainable Fabrication of Fluorescence Red-Shifted Graphene Quantum Dots via Electron-Withdrawing Modulation
by Weitao Li, Qian Niu, Xinglong Pang, Shang Li, Yang Liu, Boyu Li, Shuangyan Li, Lei Wang, Huazhang Guo and Liang Wang
Molecules 2025, 30(6), 1244; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30061244 - 10 Mar 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 517
Abstract
Graphene quantum dots (GQDs) represent a class of promising nanomaterials characterized by adjustable optical properties, making them well suited for applications in biosensing and chemical detection. However, challenges persist in achieving scalable, cost-effective synthesis and enhancing detection sensitivity. In this study, we have [...] Read more.
Graphene quantum dots (GQDs) represent a class of promising nanomaterials characterized by adjustable optical properties, making them well suited for applications in biosensing and chemical detection. However, challenges persist in achieving scalable, cost-effective synthesis and enhancing detection sensitivity. In this study, we have developed a simple and environmentally friendly method to prepare blue graphene quantum dots, c-GQDs, using nitronaphthalene as a precursor, and yellow graphene quantum dots, y-GQDs, using nitronaphthalene doped acid. The quantum yield is 29.75%, and the average thickness is 2.08 nm and 3.95 nm, respectively. The synthesized c-GQDs exhibit a prominent cyan fluorescence at a wavelength of 490 nm under excitation at 380 nm, while the y-GQDs show a distinct yellow fluorescence at a wavelength of 540 nm under excitation at 494 nm. The introduction of p-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) introduced a marked red shift in fluorescence, attributed to the electron-withdrawing effect of the carboxyl groups on PABA. This key finding significantly enhanced the sensitivity of GQDs for detecting trace copper(II) ions (Cu2+), a heavy metal contaminant posing serious environmental risks. The fluorescence of the GQDs was selectively quenched in the presence of Cu2+, facilitating accurate and sensitive detection even in complex ion matrices. Mechanistic studies revealed that the quenching effect is driven by strong static quenching interactions, which inhibit non-radiative transitions. This work not only introduces a scalable method for producing high-performance GQDs but also highlights their potential as effective fluorescent probes for environmental monitoring and heavy metal ion detection. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Inorganic/Organic Catalysts: Moving towards an Efficient, Green, and Sustainable Future)
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13 pages, 10501 KiB  
Article
Rational Design of Metal-Free Nitrogen-Doped Carbon for Controllable Reduction of CO2 to Syngas
by Guangbin An, Kang Wang, Min Yang, Jiye Zhang, Haijian Zhong, Liang Wang and Huazhang Guo
Molecules 2025, 30(4), 953; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30040953 - 18 Feb 2025
Viewed by 555
Abstract
The electrocatalytic reduction of CO2 (ECO2RR) to syngas with tunable CO/H2 ratios offers a promising route for sustainable energy conversion and chemical production. Here, we report a series of N-doped carbon black (NCBx) catalysts with tailored nitrogen species that [...] Read more.
The electrocatalytic reduction of CO2 (ECO2RR) to syngas with tunable CO/H2 ratios offers a promising route for sustainable energy conversion and chemical production. Here, we report a series of N-doped carbon black (NCBx) catalysts with tailored nitrogen species that enable precise control over the composition of syngas. Among the catalysts, NCB3 exhibits the optimal performance, achieving high CO selectivity (64.14%) and activity (1.9 mA cm−2) in an H-type cell at −0.9 V. Furthermore, NCB3 produces syngas with a wide range of CO/H2 ratios (0.52 to 4.77) across the applied potentials (−0.5 to −1.0 V). Stability tests confirm the robust durability of NCB3, which maintains consistent activity and selectivity over prolonged electrolysis. This work demonstrates the critical role of nitrogen species in tuning ECO2RR pathways and establishes a strategy for designing efficient and stable carbon-based catalysts for CO2 utilization and syngas production. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Inorganic/Organic Catalysts: Moving towards an Efficient, Green, and Sustainable Future)
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11 pages, 4530 KiB  
Article
Investigation of Persistent Photoconductivity of Gallium Nitride Semiconductor and Differentiation of Primary Neural Stem Cells
by Yu Meng, Xiaowei Du, Shang Zhou, Jiangting Li, Rongrong Feng, Huaiwei Zhang, Qianhui Xu, Weidong Zhao, Zheng Liu and Haijian Zhong
Molecules 2024, 29(18), 4439; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29184439 - 19 Sep 2024
Viewed by 1523
Abstract
A gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductor is one of the most promising materials integrated into biomedical devices to play the roles of connecting, monitoring, and manipulating the activity of biological components, due to its excellent photoelectric properties, chemical stability, and biocompatibility. In this work, [...] Read more.
A gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductor is one of the most promising materials integrated into biomedical devices to play the roles of connecting, monitoring, and manipulating the activity of biological components, due to its excellent photoelectric properties, chemical stability, and biocompatibility. In this work, it was found that the photogenerated free charge carriers of the GaN substrate, as an exogenous stimulus, served to promote neural stem cells (NSCs) to differentiate into neurons. This was observed through the systematic investigation of the effect of the persistent photoconductivity (PPC) of GaN on the differentiation of primary NSCs from the embryonic rat cerebral cortex. NSCs were directly cultured on the GaN surface with and without ultraviolet (UV) irradiation, with a control sample consisting of tissue culture polystyrene (TCPS) in the presence of fetal bovine serum (FBS) medium. Through optical microscopy, the morphology showed a greater number of neurons with the branching structures of axons and dendrites on GaN with UV irradiation. The immunocytochemical results demonstrated that GaN with UV irradiation could promote the NSCs to differentiate into neurons. Western blot analysis showed that GaN with UV irradiation significantly upregulated the expression of two neuron-related markers, βIII-tubulin (Tuj-1) and microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP-2), suggesting that neurite formation and the proliferation of NSCs during differentiation were enhanced by GaN with UV irradiation. Finally, the results of the Kelvin probe force microscope (KPFM) experiments showed that the NSCs cultured on GaN with UV irradiation displayed about 50 mV higher potential than those cultured on GaN without irradiation. The increase in cell membrane potential may have been due to the larger number of photogenerated free charges on the GaN surface with UV irradiation. These results could benefit topical research and the application of GaN as a biomedical material integrated into neural interface systems or other bioelectronic devices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Inorganic/Organic Catalysts: Moving towards an Efficient, Green, and Sustainable Future)
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11 pages, 5935 KiB  
Article
Tailoring Energy Transfer in Mixed Eu/Tb Metal–Organic Frameworks for Ratiometric Temperature Sensing
by Hui Tang, Siyuan Cheng, Zhihui Zhang, Mingyang He, Junfeng Qian and Liang Li
Molecules 2024, 29(16), 3914; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29163914 - 19 Aug 2024
Viewed by 1246
Abstract
Eu/Tb metal–organic frameworks (Eu/Tb-MOFs), exhibiting Eu3+ and Tb3+ emissions, stand out as some of the most fascinating luminescent thermometers. As the relative thermal sensitivity model is limited to its lack of precision for fitting ratio of Eu3+ and Tb3+ [...] Read more.
Eu/Tb metal–organic frameworks (Eu/Tb-MOFs), exhibiting Eu3+ and Tb3+ emissions, stand out as some of the most fascinating luminescent thermometers. As the relative thermal sensitivity model is limited to its lack of precision for fitting ratio of Eu3+ and Tb3+ emissions, accurately predicting the sensing performance of Eu/Tb-MOFs remains a significant challenge. Herein, we report a series of luminescent Eu/Tb-MOF thermometers, EuxTb1−xL, with excellent thermal sensitivity around physiological levels, achieved through the tuning energy transfer from ligands to Eu3+ and Tb3+ and between the Ln ions. It was found that the singlet lowest-energy excited state (S1) of the ligand and the higher triplet energy level (Tn) are crucial in the energy transfer processes of ligand→Tb3+ and ligand→Eu3+. This enables EuxTb1−xL to serve as an effective platform for exploring the impact of these energy transfer processes on the temperature-sensing properties of luminescent Eu/Tb-MOF thermometers. The relative thermal sensitivity is comparable to that of dual-center MOF-based luminescent thermometers operating at physiological levels. This study provides valuable insights into the design of new Eu/Tb thermometers and the accurate prediction of their sensing performance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Inorganic/Organic Catalysts: Moving towards an Efficient, Green, and Sustainable Future)
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