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Molecules
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Nano and Micro Materials in Green Chemistry
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Nano and Micro Materials in Green Chemistry

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2026) | Viewed by 5017

Editor

Prof. Dr. Ruijin Yu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Chemistry & Pharmacy, Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, Xianyang 712100, China
Interests: solid state synthesis; hydrothermal synthesis; phosphor; rare earth doping; luminescence; quantum dot; carbon dot
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Green chemistry is revolutionizing industries by integrating nano- and micro-materials to achieve sustainability across energy, environment, electronics, and agriculture industries and beyond. These materials—showcasing enhanced catalytic activity, energy-efficient interfaces, and tailored functionalities—enable breakthroughs in reducing resource consumption and environmental footprints.

This Special Issue invites original research and reviews on (but not limited to) the following:

  • Cross-sectoral applications: Energy and Chemical Engineering: Nanocatalysts for low-temperature reactions, microporous membranes for CO2 capture, and nanostructured electrodes for green hydrogen;
  • Agriculture and Life Sciences: Nanofertilizers for precision farming, microcarriers for targeted drug delivery, and biohybrid materials for soil and environmental remediation;
  • Methodological innovations: Green synthesis: Solar-driven synthesis, bioinspired self-assembly, biosynthesis (microbial/plant-mediated), and ionic liquid-mediated fabrication;
  • Advanced characterization: Computational chemistry and simulation techniques; high-resolution imaging techniques and spectroscopic methods; chemical sustainability assessment.

We welcome interdisciplinary studies that bridge material science with sustainable practices, offering scalable solutions for global challenges in decarbonization, circular economy, and planetary health.

Prof. Dr. Ruijin Yu
Guest Editor

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-anonymized 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

  • green chemistry
  • biosynthesis and green synthesis
  • nanomaterials and micro-materials
  • biohybrid materials
  • nanostructured electrodes
  • chemical sustainability assessment

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 6388 KB  
Article
Selective Low-Temperature Oxidative Dehydrogenation of Propane over Alumina-Supported Copper Nanoparticles with O2 and CO2 as Oxidants
by Karolína Simkovičová, Muhammad I. Qadir, Naděžda Žilková, Joanna E. Olszówka, Libor Kvítek, Mariana Klementová, Esther de Prado and Štefan Vajda
Molecules 2026, 31(4), 626; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules31040626 - 11 Feb 2026
Viewed by 926
Abstract
This study reports on the performance of alumina-supported copper-based catalysts in the oxidative dehydrogenation of propane, with copper dispersed on two distinct commercial aluminium oxide supports made of micro- and nanosized alumina, respectively. The activity and selectivity of the two catalysts was investigated [...] Read more.
This study reports on the performance of alumina-supported copper-based catalysts in the oxidative dehydrogenation of propane, with copper dispersed on two distinct commercial aluminium oxide supports made of micro- and nanosized alumina, respectively. The activity and selectivity of the two catalysts was investigated at temperatures between 250 and 550 °C. At a propane-to-O2 ratio of 1:1, Cu/nanoAl2O3 achieves propylene selectivity of 35–48% at low temperatures (250–300 °C), while Cu/Al2O3 only exhibits activity starting at 350 °C with about 40% propylene selectivity. Altering the propylene-to-oxygen ratio to 3:1 enhances selectivity towards propylene in both catalysts, up to about 64% on Cu/Al2O3 at temperatures of 250–350 °C. The switch to the mild oxidant CO2 boosts propylene selectivity to 100%. In case of Cu/nanoAl2O3, the rate of propylene formation doubles that of the obtained with O2 used as oxidant. While with CO2 the Cu/nanoAl2O3 catalyst retains 100% propylene selectivity up to 500 °C, on the less active Cu/Al2O3 cracking sets off already at 400 °C. The different size of copper particles in the two catalysts is seen as a primary factor determining the observed differences in the performance of the studied catalysts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nano and Micro Materials in Green Chemistry)
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14 pages, 3101 KB  
Article
Synthesis and Luminescent Properties of Dy3+-Activated Yellow Phosphors with Anomalous Thermal Quenching for w-LEDs
by Anlin Zhang, Huapeng Sun, Xiang Li and Bin Deng
Molecules 2025, 30(23), 4562; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30234562 - 26 Nov 2025
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 711
Abstract
Thermal stability is a crucial factor in evaluating phosphors and determining whether they can be utilized in white light emitting diodes (w-LEDs). In this work, a series of Sr6LuAl(BO3)6: Dy3+ (SLAB:Dy3+) phosphors was synthesized [...] Read more.
Thermal stability is a crucial factor in evaluating phosphors and determining whether they can be utilized in white light emitting diodes (w-LEDs). In this work, a series of Sr6LuAl(BO3)6: Dy3+ (SLAB:Dy3+) phosphors was synthesized via high-temperature solid-state reaction. The synthesized SLAB:Dy3+ phosphor exhibits narrow-band emission in the range of 450–700 nm under 348 nm UV excitation. The strongest emission peak is located at 577 nm and is primarily due to 4F9/2-6H13/2 electron transitions. The optimal doping concentration of Dy3+ in the synthesized phosphor was 15 mol%. The integrated emission intensity of the synthesized phosphor at 480 k is 97.84% of that at 300 k, with excellent thermal stability. The activation energy Eg = 0.62 eV. Meanwhile, the Commission International de l’Eclairage (CIE) coordinates of the prepared w-LEDs were (0.309,0.363) with a correlated color temperature (CCT) of 6497 K. Preliminary experimental findings suggest that SLAB:Dy3+ phosphors hold promise for utilization in w-LEDs applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nano and Micro Materials in Green Chemistry)
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22 pages, 2851 KB  
Article
A Novel Biomass-Based Catalyst Composite Using Waste Chicken Eggshells and Avocado Seeds for Biolubricant Production: Synthesis Route, Catalytic Property Characterization, and Performance
by Juan Esteban Foronda-Quiroz, Hilda Elizabeth Reynel-Ávila, Luiz Pereira-Ramos and Adrián Bonilla-Petriciolet
Molecules 2025, 30(21), 4280; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30214280 - 3 Nov 2025
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1070
Abstract
This study introduces the preparation and tailoring of the catalytic properties of a novel biomass-based composite to produce a sustainable biolubricant, trimethylolpropane fatty acid triester (TFATE), via the transesterification of fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs). This novel catalyst was prepared from avocado seed [...] Read more.
This study introduces the preparation and tailoring of the catalytic properties of a novel biomass-based composite to produce a sustainable biolubricant, trimethylolpropane fatty acid triester (TFATE), via the transesterification of fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs). This novel catalyst was prepared from avocado seed and chicken eggshell residues using a Taguchi experimental design to determine the best synthesis conditions. The variables tested in the catalyst preparation included CaO impregnation time and temperature, mass ratio of CaO/char, and activation temperature. The transesterification conditions to obtain TFATE were analyzed using the best eggshell-/char-based catalyst, and the reaction kinetics were measured at 120 and 150 °C. The results showed an endothermic reactive system with calculated kinetic rate constants of 7.45 × 10−3–10.31 × 10−3 L/mmol·min, and an activation energy of 15 kJ/mol. This new catalyst achieved 90% TFATE formation under optimized reaction conditions. Reuse tests indicated that catalyst deactivation occurred due to active-site poisoning, despite very low calcium leaching. Catalyst characterization confirmed the relevance of the crystalline structure and CaO loading on the avocado char surface to obtain the best catalytic properties, while 1H nuclear magnetic resonance analysis proved TFATE formation. This low-cost catalyst can be an alternative for enhancing sustainable biolubricant production with the aim of replacing petrochemical-based counterparts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nano and Micro Materials in Green Chemistry)
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25 pages, 7645 KB  
Article
Green Synthesized Silver Nanoparticles from Biowaste for Rapid Dye Degradation: Experimental Investigation and Computational Mechanistic Insights
by Tanakorn Wonglakhon, Areeya Chonsakon, Prawit Nuengmatcha, Benjawan Ninwong, Dirk Zahn and Yanisa Thepchuay
Molecules 2025, 30(18), 3738; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30183738 - 15 Sep 2025
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1835
Abstract
Silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) green-synthesized using Nypa fruticans fruit husk (NF) extract were applied as catalysts for the degradation of organic dyes in water for the first time. The synthesized Ag NPs, which were well-dispersed, highly stable, and small in size with an [...] Read more.
Silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) green-synthesized using Nypa fruticans fruit husk (NF) extract were applied as catalysts for the degradation of organic dyes in water for the first time. The synthesized Ag NPs, which were well-dispersed, highly stable, and small in size with an average diameter of ~4 nm, efficiently catalyzed the degradation of methyl orange (MO) in the presence of NaBH4, achieving complete degradation (>99%) within one minute under optimized conditions. The application to a commercial synthetic dye resulted in over 89% degradation within five minutes. To elucidate the degradation mechanism at the atomistic level, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and density functional theory (DFT) calculations were employed. MD simulations revealed the adsorption behavior of MO on the Ag(111) surface. DFT calculations clarified the reaction pathway of MO degradation, identifying direct hydride transfer from BH4− to the azo group of MO as the rate-determining step, with the subsequent step influenced by the pH conditions. These findings illustrate the potential of NF extract in the green synthesis of catalytically active Ag NPs and contribute to understanding their role in dye degradation processes relevant to environmental remediation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nano and Micro Materials in Green Chemistry)
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