Renewable Fuels: Advanced Nanomaterials for H₂ Generation, CO₂ Reduction and Carbon Capture and Storage

Dear Colleagues,

Greenhouse gas emissions, particularly those of CO₂, are reaching alarming levels. As a matter of consequence, the landscape of research into materials chemistry has shifted drastically towards the development of technologies that are able to mitigate global warming outcomes. As such, valiant efforts have been made by the scientific community to design new systems and novel catalysts in order to generate hydrogen from renewable sources, and chemically reduce CO₂ into potential feedstock to be reused in a so-called circular economy. Recent results have revealed that the most promising routes involve the reduction of protons or CO₂ via electrochemical means in aqueous-based media, which leads to the production of hydrogen and a myriad of potential hydrocarbons. While a vast array of catalysts able to fulfill such a task now exist, the field remains in its infancy, with catalyst selectivity and scale-up lagging behind. On the other hand, the capture of CO₂ from flue gas has already reached the industrial realm, with companies investing heavily in large-scale CO₂ capture plants. However, the aim to capture and store CO₂ from the air by utilizing novel porous nanomaterials has recently attracted the significant attention of academics.

In this Special Issue, therefore, we aim to provide a comprehensive overview of the recent advancements made in of hydrogen generation (water splitting), CO₂ electro or photo-reduction, and CO₂ storage from a material chemistry perspective. We welcome contributions that attend to, in a broad sense, the following areas of interest: the material synthesis/fabrication of any of the abovementioned subjects (inorganic and organic materials), and the characterization of their electro and/or photo-chemical catalytic activity or CO₂ storage capacity. Furthermore, we welcome papers in the form of communications, research articles and review articles, according to the publication templates of Nanomaterials. We invite authors and experts in these fields to submit their contributions to this Special Issue.

Dr. Aurélien Viterisi
Dr. Gimbert-Suriñach Carolina
Guest Editors

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