Advanced Materials and Process Intensification for Clean Energy Systems

Dear Colleagues,

During the last decade, the global energy landscape has undergone a profound transformation driven by the dual imperatives of climate change mitigation and sustainable development. Advanced materials and process intensification have emerged as critical enablers for enhancing the efficiency, scalability, and environmental compatibility of clean energy systems. Key areas of progress include innovative solid waste conversion technologies for energy and resource recovery, and novel catalysts for green hydrogen and ammonia production and the development of high-performance oxygen carriers in chemical looping. Simultaneously, breakthroughs in solar cell materials (e.g., perovskite and silicon heterojunction cells) and advanced battery systems (e.g., lithium-ion and sodium-ion chemistries) have significantly improved energy conversion and storage capabilities. These advancements are pivotal for addressing the intermittency of renewables, reducing carbon footprints, and enabling a circular economy. 

This Special Issue, titled "Advanced Materials and Process Intensification for Clean Energy Systems", aims to​ gather cutting-edge research and comprehensive reviews that explore the integration of advanced materials and process intensification strategies across a spectrum of clean energy technologies. The focus is on fundamental insights, material innovations, and system-level optimizations that enhance performance, durability, and economic viability while minimizing environmental impact. 

The topics of interest for publication include, but are not limited to, the following themes:

This Special Issue welcomes original research and reviews focusing on advanced materials, experimental investigations and process intensification strategies for solid waste conversion, including chemical-looping systems, advanced oxygen carriers, low-NOx combustion, waste-based hydrogen production, syngas purification, and circulating fluidized bed technologies. We also encourage submissions related to hydrogen and ammonia production, covering electrocatalysts for water splitting, photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical processes, electrolyzer design, nitrogen reduction reactions for ammonia synthesis, and integrated power-to-X systems.

In the area of solar energy conversion, contributions on high-efficiency perovskite solar cells, silicon heterojunction and tandem cells, novel photovoltaic materials, and stability enhancement strategies are welcomd. The Issue also seeks studies on advanced energy storage technologies, such as lithium-ion battery material innovations, sodium-ion battery development, flow batteries, and thermal energy storage materials.

Furthermore, we welcome research on process intensification and system integration, including modular reactor design, smart manufacturing, AI-driven optimization, life cycle assessment, and techno-economic analysis of clean energy processes.

Dr. Jingchun Yan
Dr. Lulu Wang
Prof. Dr. Harvey Arellano-Garcia
Guest Editors

Dr. Rong Sun
Guest Editor Assistant

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. Processes is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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.