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Advances in Nanomaterials for Energy Conversion and Environmental Catalysis: Second Edition

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 April 2026) | Viewed by 7690

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Jian Qi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory of Biochemical Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
Interests: inorganic solid catalytic materials; porous catalytic materials; energy; small molecule catalytic conversion; environmental catalysis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Following the tremendous success of the first edition of the Special Issue “Advances in Nanomaterials for Energy Conversion and Environmental Catalysis”, in which a total of 13 papers were published (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/nanomaterials/special_issues/D99BE7WA8W), a second edition is being launched.

Materials are an important for human survival. The kind of materials that are used directly becomes a sign of the productivity level of human society. In recent years, we have witnessed increased interest in advanced materials for energy, environment, and catalysis. Those interdisciplinary fields have been regarded as the key enabling approach to accelerate developments in material sciences. In recognition of the trends and frontiers of advanced materials for energy, environment, and catalysis, a themed issue on “Advances in Nanomaterials for Energy Conversion and Environmental Catalysis” is planned for Nanomaterials. For this Special Issue, we are particularly interested in, among others, the following areas of advanced materials for energy conversion and environmental catalysis application: lithium-ion/sodium-ion batteries, supercapacitors, solar cells, fuel cells, catalytic combustion of volatile organic compounds and natural gas, heterogeneous catalysis in water treatment processes, catalytic conversion of greenhouse gases, environmental catalytic processes in the atmosphere, and the application of machine learning in the abovementioned fields. This issue will contain a mixture of original (communications and full papers) and review-type (reviews and concepts) articles, and you can choose which type of article you would prefer to submit or if you would like to submit more than one.

Dr. Jian Qi
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-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

  • controllable synthesis
  • micro-/nanostructured materials
  • energy conversion and storage
  • environmental catalysis
  • machine learning

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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10 pages, 5683 KB  
Article
Engineering of Edge-Enriched Nitrogen-Doped Porous Carbon as a High-Performance Metal-Free Catalyst for Acetylene Hydrochlorination
by Zhenzhen Zhang, Dashuai Zhang, Yalei Hao, Guangzong Fang, Xingyun Li and Jian Qi
Nanomaterials 2026, 16(9), 568; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano16090568 - 6 May 2026
Viewed by 824
Abstract
The development of efficient catalysts for acetylene hydrochlorination is critical for replacing the industrially prevalent mercury chloride catalysts. Herein, a defective nitrogen-doped carbon material (NC-APT) is engineered via a facile co-polymerization of pyrrole, aniline, and thiophene, followed by a controlled calcination procedure. This [...] Read more.
The development of efficient catalysts for acetylene hydrochlorination is critical for replacing the industrially prevalent mercury chloride catalysts. Herein, a defective nitrogen-doped carbon material (NC-APT) is engineered via a facile co-polymerization of pyrrole, aniline, and thiophene, followed by a controlled calcination procedure. This co-polymerization strategy introduces abundant structural defects compared to mono-polymerization processes, primarily due to the lattice mismatch and steric hindrance between the distinct monomers, which disrupts the regularity of the polymer chain and prevents graphitic ordering. The resulting NC-APT catalyst features a high specific surface area of 375.7 m2·g−1 and a substantial nitrogen dopant content of 14.4%, with 81% of the nitrogen existing as catalytically active edge structures (pyrrolic and pyridinic N). Consequently, the catalyst delivers exceptional performance, achieving 92% acetylene conversion at 220 °C with a C2H2 gas hourly space velocity (GHSV) of 80 h−1. This performance significantly outperforms many reported metal-free counterparts and rivals that of traditional metal-based catalysts. This work offers new insights into the rational design of carbon-based, metal-free catalysts through monomer mismatch engineering. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Nanomaterials for Energy Conversion and Environmental Catalysis: Second Edition)
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14 pages, 2174 KB  
Article
Functional Carbazole–Cellulose Composite Binders for High-Stability Carbon Electrodes in Perovskite Solar Cells
by Fengming Guo, Junjie Wu, Yujing Li, Zilong Zhang, Maolin He, Lusheng Liang, Reza Keshavarzi and Peng Gao
Nanomaterials 2025, 15(24), 1868; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano15241868 - 12 Dec 2025
Viewed by 818
Abstract
Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) based on metal halides have garnered significant attention due to their exceptional power conversion efficiency (PCE) and compatibility with low-temperature fabrication processes. However, the development of stable and inexpensive carbon electrodes remains hindered by issues such as insufficient conductivity [...] Read more.
Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) based on metal halides have garnered significant attention due to their exceptional power conversion efficiency (PCE) and compatibility with low-temperature fabrication processes. However, the development of stable and inexpensive carbon electrodes remains hindered by issues such as insufficient conductivity at the carbon electrode/perovskite interface and weak coupling strength. In this study, we employed a functionalized carbazole–cellulose composite (C–Cz) as an alternative binder to construct highly stable carbon electrodes for PSCs. The incorporation of C–Cz enhances electron interactions through its conjugated carbazole moieties, while the cellulose backbone facilitates uniform dispersion of carbon particles and forms continuous transport pathways. These synergistic effects significantly optimize interfacial energy alignment and defect passivation. Ultimately, p-i-n PSCs fabricated with C–Cz carbon paste electrodes achieved a champion PCE of 16.79%, substantially outperforming the control device using a conventional PMMA binder (10.56%). Notably, the exceptional hydrophobicity and defect passivation capabilities of the C–Cz electrode substantially enhance device durability—maintaining over 95% of initial efficiency after 400 h of continuous maximum power point tracking irradiation. This study reveals an effective adhesive engineering strategy for robust, scalable carbon electrodes, paving new pathways for practical applications in stable perovskite photovoltaics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Nanomaterials for Energy Conversion and Environmental Catalysis: Second Edition)
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22 pages, 4229 KB  
Article
CO2 Methanation over Ni Catalysts Supported on Pr-Doped CeO2 Nanostructures Synthesized via Hydrothermal and Co-Precipitation Methods
by Anastasios I. Tsiotsias, Nikolaos D. Charisiou, Aasif A. Dabbawala, Aseel G. S. Hussien, Victor Sebastian, Steven J. Hinder, Mark A. Baker, Samuel Mao, Kyriaki Polychronopoulou and Maria A. Goula
Nanomaterials 2025, 15(13), 1022; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano15131022 - 1 Jul 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2171
Abstract
The synthesis method of the Pr-doped CeO2 catalyst support in Ni/Pr-CeO2 CO2 methanation catalysts is varied by changing the type/basicity of the precipitating solution and the hydrothermal treatment temperature. The use of highly basic NaOH as the precipitating agent and [...] Read more.
The synthesis method of the Pr-doped CeO2 catalyst support in Ni/Pr-CeO2 CO2 methanation catalysts is varied by changing the type/basicity of the precipitating solution and the hydrothermal treatment temperature. The use of highly basic NaOH as the precipitating agent and elevated hydrothermal treatment temperature (100 or 180 °C) leads to the formation of structured Pr-doped CeO2 nanorods and nanocubes, respectively, whereas the use of a mildly basic NH3-based buffer in the absence of hydrothermal treatment (i.e., co-precipitation) leads to an unstructured mesoporous morphology with medium-sized supported Ni nanoparticles. The latter catalyst (Ni/CP_NH3) displays a high surface area, high population of moderately strong basic sites, high oxygen vacancy population, and favorable Ni dispersion. These properties lead to a higher catalytic activity for CO2 methanation (75% CO2 conversion and 99% CH4 selectivity at 350 °C) compared to the catalysts with structured nanorod and nanocube support morphologies, which are found to contain a significant amount of leftover Na from the synthesis procedure that can act as a catalyst inhibitor. In addition, the best-performing Ni/CP_NH3 catalyst is shown to be highly stable, with minimal deactivation during time-on-stream operation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Nanomaterials for Energy Conversion and Environmental Catalysis: Second Edition)
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Review

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39 pages, 3494 KB  
Review
Iron Redox Cycling in Persulfate Activation: Strategic Enhancements, Mechanistic Insights, and Environmental Applications—A Review
by Zutao Zhang, Fengyang Du, Hongliang Shi, Huanzheng Du and Peiyuan Xiao
Nanomaterials 2025, 15(22), 1712; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano15221712 - 12 Nov 2025
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2912
Abstract
Iron-based catalysts for peroxymonosulfate (PMS) and peroxydisulfate (PDS) activation represent a cornerstone of advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) in environmental remediation, prized for their cost-effectiveness, environmental compatibility, and high catalytic potential. These catalysts, including zero-valent iron, iron oxides, and iron-organic frameworks, activate PMS/PDS through [...] Read more.
Iron-based catalysts for peroxymonosulfate (PMS) and peroxydisulfate (PDS) activation represent a cornerstone of advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) in environmental remediation, prized for their cost-effectiveness, environmental compatibility, and high catalytic potential. These catalysts, including zero-valent iron, iron oxides, and iron-organic frameworks, activate PMS/PDS through heterogeneous and homogeneous pathways to generate reactive species such as sulfate radicals (SO4•−) and hydroxyl radicals (•OH). However, their large-scale implementation is constrained by inefficient iron cycling, characterized by sluggish Fe3+/Fe2+ conversion and significant iron precipitation, leading to catalyst passivation and oxidant wastage. This comprehensive review systematically dissects innovative strategies to augment iron cycling efficiency, encompassing advanced material design through elemental doping, heterostructure construction, and defect engineering; system optimization via reductant incorporation, bimetallic synergy, and pH modulation; and external field assistance using light, electricity, or ultrasound. We present a mechanistic deep-dive into these approaches, emphasizing facilitated electron transfer, suppression of iron precipitation, and precise regulation of radical versus non-radical pathways. The performance in degrading persistent organic pollutants—including antibiotics, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), and pesticides—in complex environmental matrices is critically evaluated. We further discuss practical challenges related to scalability, long-term stability, and secondary environmental risks. Finally, forward-looking directions are proposed, focusing on rational catalyst design, integration of sustainable processes, and scalable implementation, thereby providing a foundational framework for developing next-generation iron-persulfate catalytic systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Nanomaterials for Energy Conversion and Environmental Catalysis: Second Edition)
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