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Nanomaterials
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Nanomaterials for the Photocatalytic Degradation of Pollutants, Hydrogen Evolution and...
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Nanomaterials for the Photocatalytic Degradation of Pollutants, Hydrogen Evolution and Ammonia Production

A special issue of Nanomaterials (ISSN 2079-4991). This special issue belongs to the section "Energy and Catalysis".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2025 | Viewed by 957

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Jing Feng

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Key Laboratory of Superlight Materials & Surface Technology of Ministry of Education, Harbin Engineering University, Harbin 150001, China
Interests: photocatalysis; multi-functional water treatment materials (catalytic materials, adsorption materials); carbon electrode materials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Photocatalytic degradation, hydrogen production, and the synthesis of ammonia have been developed over the course of decades and are considered green and advanced technologies in the environmental and energy fields. Now, efficient visible light absorption and the rapid separation of photogenerated electron–hole pairs are the main factors used to improve their photocatalytic efficiency. Therefore, the generation, transfer, and reaction of photogenerated carries has become the core focus of photocatalytic research. In general, photogenerated electrons and holes can be modulated by controlling their composition, morphology, surface defects, surface coordination environment, and composite catalysts.

This Special Issue of Nanomaterials aims to delve deeper into the mechanisms and processes involved in photocatalytic degradation, hydrogen production, and the synthesis of ammonia. This field has developed rapidly in the past 20 years and has attracted the attention of a large number of researchers. The relationship between the surface properties of photocatalysts and their catalytic performance is of particular interest. With this Special Issue, we invite contributions from leaders in this field, with the aim of presenting the latest developments in the discipline.

Dr. Jing Feng
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 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. Nanomaterials 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 2400 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

  • photocatalysis
  • degradation
  • hydrogen production
  • ammonia synthesis
  • visible light
  • energy bands
  • heterojunctions
  • surface properties

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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16 pages, 2103 KiB  
Article
Insights into CoFe2O4/Peracetic Acid Catalytic Oxidation Process for Iopamidol Degradation: Performance, Mechanisms, and I-DBP Formation Control
by Haiwei Wu, Jiaming Zhang, Fangbo Zhao, Wei Fan, Song Yang and Jun Ma
Nanomaterials 2025, 15(12), 897; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano15120897 - 10 Jun 2025
Viewed by 450
Abstract
In chlorination disinfection treatment, residual iodinated X-ray contrast media (ICMs) are the precursors to iodinated disinfection by-products (I-DBPs). This study employed CoFe2O4 nanoparticle catalytic peracetic acid oxidation (CoFe2O4/PAA) to remove iopamidol (IPM) and control I-DBP formation. [...] Read more.
In chlorination disinfection treatment, residual iodinated X-ray contrast media (ICMs) are the precursors to iodinated disinfection by-products (I-DBPs). This study employed CoFe2O4 nanoparticle catalytic peracetic acid oxidation (CoFe2O4/PAA) to remove iopamidol (IPM) and control I-DBP formation. The experimental results demonstrated that over 90% of the IPM degradation was achieved in 40 min. The metastable intermediate (≡Co(II)-OO(O)CCH3), rather than the alkoxyl radicals, was identified as the dominant oxidation species (ROS). The electron transfer pathways between the metastable intermediate and IPM were oxygen-atom transfer and single-electron transfer. The monoiodoacetic acid formation potential (MIAAFP) was investigated. In ultraviolet-activated ClO− (UV/chlorine), a portion of I− generated through IPM dehalogenation underwent conversion to reactive iodine species (RIS), consequently elevating the MIAAFP. In CoFe2O4/PAA, the MIAAFP was less than 43% of that in UV/chlorine, which can be attributed to the complete conversion of I− into iodate IO3− without generating RIS. CoFe2O4/PAA is thus a promising treatment for removing ICMs and controlling I-DBP formation due to the efficient degradation of ICMs while avoiding the generation of RIS. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanomaterials for the Photocatalytic Degradation of Pollutants, Hydrogen Evolution and Ammonia Production)
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Review

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43 pages, 9107 KiB  
Review
A Review on Pre-, In-Process, and Post-Synthetic Strategies to Break the Surface Area Barrier in g-C3N4 for Energy Conversion and Environmental Remediation
by Mingming Gao, Minghao Zhao, Qianqian Yang, Lan Bao, Liwei Chen, Wei Liu and Jing Feng
Nanomaterials 2025, 15(13), 956; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano15130956 - 20 Jun 2025
Viewed by 369
Abstract
Nanomaterials with large specific surface area (SSA) have emerged as pivotal platforms for energy storage and environmental remediation, primarily due to their enhanced active site exposure, improved mass transport capabilities, and superior interfacial reactivity. Among them, polymeric carbon nitride (g-C3N4 [...] Read more.
Nanomaterials with large specific surface area (SSA) have emerged as pivotal platforms for energy storage and environmental remediation, primarily due to their enhanced active site exposure, improved mass transport capabilities, and superior interfacial reactivity. Among them, polymeric carbon nitride (g-C3N4) has garnered significant attention in energy and environmental applications owing to its visible-light-responsive bandgap (~2.7 eV), exceptional thermal/chemical stability, and earth-abundant composition. However, the practical performance of g-C3N4 is fundamentally constrained by intrinsic limitations, including its inherently low SSA (<20 m2/g via conventional thermal polymerization), rapid recombination of photogenerated carriers, and inefficient charge transfer kinetics. Notably, the theoretical SSA of g-C3N4 reaches 2500 m2/g, yet achieving this value remains challenging due to strong interlayer van der Waals interactions and structural collapse during synthesis. Recent advances demonstrate that state-of-the-art strategies can elevate its SSA to 50–200 m2/g. To break this surface area barrier, advanced strategies achieve SSA enhancement through three primary pathways: pre-treatment (molecular and supramolecular precursor design), in process (templating and controlled polycondensation), and post-processing (chemical exfoliation and defect engineering). This review systematically examines controllable synthesis methodologies for high-SSA g-C3N4, analyzing how SSA amplification intrinsically modulates band structures, extends carrier lifetimes, and boosts catalytic efficiencies. Future research should prioritize synergistic multi-stage engineering to approach the theoretical SSA limit (2500 m2/g) while preserving robust optoelectronic properties. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanomaterials for the Photocatalytic Degradation of Pollutants, Hydrogen Evolution and Ammonia Production)
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