Advances in Nanomaterials for Sustainable and Renewable Energy

A special issue of Nanomaterials (ISSN 2079-4991).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2026 | Viewed by 1197

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Instituto de Carboquímica, CSIC, Miguel Luesma Castán 4, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain
Interests: biofuel; hydrogen production; CO2 utilization; carbon-based catalysts; nanoporous materials; heterogeneous catalysis; green chemistry technology

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Guest Editor
Aragon Institute of Engineering Research, University of Zaragoza, C/Mariano Esquillor s/n, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain
Interests: heterogeneous catalysis; CO2 hydrogenation; e-fuels; structured catalysts; modeling; fluidized bed reactors; sulfides
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, nanomaterials have demonstrated remarkable potential in addressing key challenges in sustainable and renewable energy technologies. Their unique properties at the nanoscale—such as enhanced surface reactivity, tunable porosity, and controlled dispersion of active phases—make them ideal candidates for improving catalytic efficiency, energy conversion, and storage performance.

This Special Issue, “Advances in Nanomaterials for Sustainable and Renewable Energy,” aims to present high-quality original research articles and reviews focused on recent breakthroughs in this field.

We welcome contributions exploring innovative catalysts with nanodispersed active phases, nanoengineered materials for hydrogen production storage and transportation, CO2 utilization, and ammonia synthesis or decomposition, as well as functional nanomaterials for batteries, supercapacitors, and solar-driven processes.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Catalysts for hydrogen production, transportation and storage;
  • CO2 utilization;
  • Ammonia synthesis and decomposition;
  • Carbon nanomaterials;
  • Nanostructured photocatalysts and electrocatalysts;
  • Nanohybrids for green fuel production;
  • Advanced nanocomposites for solar energy harvesting;
  • Membranes or porous nanomaterials designed for energy and environmental applications.

Dr. Christian Di Stasi
Dr. Simona Renda
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • nanoparticles
  • catalysts
  • hydrogen
  • CO2 utilization
  • functional nanomaterials

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

21 pages, 2251 KB  
Article
Valorization of Bio-Oil Aqueous Fractions Through Oxidative Steam Reforming over Co/CeO2-SBA-15 Catalysts: From Single Model Compounds to Complex Mixtures
by Carlos A. Chirinos, Arturo J. Vizcaíno, José A. Calles, Alicia Carrero and Pedro J. Megía
Nanomaterials 2026, 16(2), 85; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano16020085 - 8 Jan 2026
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Abstract
This study investigates the oxidative steam reforming (OSR) of simulated bio-oil aqueous fractions using Co/CeO2-SBA-15 catalysts. Five representative compounds—methanol, acetic acid, hydroxyacetone, phenol, and furfural—were evaluated to assess their reactivity for hydrogen production. Aliphatic compounds achieved nearly complete conversion and stable [...] Read more.
This study investigates the oxidative steam reforming (OSR) of simulated bio-oil aqueous fractions using Co/CeO2-SBA-15 catalysts. Five representative compounds—methanol, acetic acid, hydroxyacetone, phenol, and furfural—were evaluated to assess their reactivity for hydrogen production. Aliphatic compounds achieved nearly complete conversion and stable hydrogen yields, while aromatic structures led to lower conversion and higher coke formation. Furfural exhibited higher reactivity than phenol due to its furan ring and aldehyde group. Catalysts with 10 and 20 wt.% Ce showed similar activity, but Co/20CeO2-SBA-15 presented lower hydrogen yield. For this reason, next experiments of OSR of model compound mixtures were carried out only with Co/10CeO2-SBA-15. To approach real bio-oil complexity, ternary and quinary mixtures were tested. High conversion and hydrogen yield were maintained over 50 h when the ternary mixture (methanol, hydroxyacetone, and acetic acid) was fed. When the quinary mixture was used as feedstock, which includes furfural and phenol, lower conversions were obtained for these compounds compared to aliphatic ones, although conversions remained above 80% after 50 h (88.9% for furfural and 82.6% for phenol). These results highlight Co/10CeO2-SBA-15 as a viable catalyst for bio-oil aqueous fraction valorization under OSR conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Nanomaterials for Sustainable and Renewable Energy)
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