Feature Papers in Reactions in 2025

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue, entitled “Feature Papers in Reactions in 2025”, is open to receiving high-quality papers in open access format upon invitation from Editorial Board Members or the Editorial Office and the Editor-in-Chief. Both original research articles and comprehensive review papers are welcome. Contributions to this Special Issue will be published in open access format after peer review. The potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Reaction mechanisms;
  • Reaction kinetics;
  • Complex reactions, including catalytic ones;
  • Single-atom catalysis;
  • Reaction and reactor engineering (bio-, electro-, photo-, environmental, and chemical);
  • Micro-reactors and micro-reaction engineering;
  • Hydrogen production reactions;
  • Photocatalysis.

Prof. Dr. Dmitry Yu. Murzin
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. Reactions is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly 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 1000 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

  • reaction mechanisms
  • reaction kinetics
  • complex reactions, including catalytic ones
  • single-atom catalysis
  • reaction and reactor engineering (bio-, electro-, photo-, environmental, and chemical)
  • micro-reactors and micro-reaction engineering
  • hydrogen production reactions
  • photocatalysis

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Related Special Issues

Published Papers (5 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

28 pages, 6457 KiB  
Article
Photocatalytic and Photo-Fenton-like Degradation of Cationic Dyes Using SnFe2O4/g-C3N4 Under LED Irradiation: Optimization by RSM-BBD and Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs)
by Yassine Elkahoui, Fatima-Zahra Abahdou, Majda Ben Ali, Said Alahiane, Mohamed Elhabacha, Youssef Boutarba and Souad El Hajjaji
Reactions 2025, 6(2), 23; https://doi.org/10.3390/reactions6020023 - 28 Mar 2025
Viewed by 749
Abstract
The development of heterostructures incorporating photocatalysts optimized for visible-light activity represents a major breakthrough in the field of environmental remediation research, offering innovative and sustainable solutions for environmental purification. This study explores the photocatalytic capabilities of a SnFe2O4/g-C3 [...] Read more.
The development of heterostructures incorporating photocatalysts optimized for visible-light activity represents a major breakthrough in the field of environmental remediation research, offering innovative and sustainable solutions for environmental purification. This study explores the photocatalytic capabilities of a SnFe2O4/g-C3N4 heterojunction nanocomposite, successfully synthesized from graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) and tin ferrate (SnFe2O4) and applied to the degradation of the cationic dye brilliant cresyl blue (BCB) in an aqueous solution. These two components are particularly attractive due to their low cost and ease of fabrication. Various characterization techniques, including XRD, FTIR, SEM, and TEM, were used to confirm the successful integration of SnFe2O4 and g-C3N4 phases in the synthesized catalysts. The photocatalytic and photo-Fenton-like activity of the heterojunction composites was evaluated by the degradation of brilliant cresyl blue under visible LED illumination. Compared to the pure components SnFe2O4 and g-C3N4, the SnFe2O4/g-C3N4 nanocomposite demonstrated a superior photocatalytic performance. Furthermore, the photo-Fenton-like performance of the composites is much higher than the photocatalytic performances. The significant improvement in photo-Fenton activity is attributed to the synergistic effect between SnFe2O4 and g-C3N4, as well as the efficient separation of photoexcited electron/hole pairs. The recyclability of the SnFe2O4/g-C3N4 composite toward BCB photo-Fenton like degradation was also shown. This study aimed to assess the modeling and optimization of photo-Fenton-like removal BCB using the SnFe2O4/g-C3N4 nanomaterial. The main parameters (photocatalyst dose, initial dye concentration, H2O2 volume, and reaction time) affecting this system were modeled by two approaches: a response surface methodology (RSM) based on a Box–Behnken design and artificial neural network (ANN). A comparison was made between the predictive accuracy of RSM for brilliant cresyl blue (BCB) removal and that of the artificial neural network (ANN) approach. Both methodologies provided satisfactory and comparable predictions, achieving R2 values of 0.97 for RSM and 0.99 for ANN. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers in Reactions in 2025)
Show Figures

Figure 1

19 pages, 6227 KiB  
Article
Comparative Study of Greener Alkene Epoxidation Using a Polymer-Supported Mo(VI) Complex: Performance Evaluation and Optimisation via Response Surface Methodology
by Md Masud Rana Bhuiyan and Basudeb Saha
Reactions 2025, 6(2), 22; https://doi.org/10.3390/reactions6020022 - 24 Mar 2025
Viewed by 341
Abstract
A heterogeneous polybenzimidazole-supported Mo(VI) catalyst and tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP) as an oxidising reagent have been utilised to establish a more environmentally friendly and greener alkene epoxidation process. A polybenzimidazole-supported Mo(VI) complex (PBI.Mo) has been prepared, characterised and evaluated successfully. The stability and [...] Read more.
A heterogeneous polybenzimidazole-supported Mo(VI) catalyst and tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP) as an oxidising reagent have been utilised to establish a more environmentally friendly and greener alkene epoxidation process. A polybenzimidazole-supported Mo(VI) complex (PBI.Mo) has been prepared, characterised and evaluated successfully. The stability and catalytic activity of the produced catalyst have been evaluated for the epoxidation of 1,7-octadiene and 1,5-hexadiene in a jacketed stirred batch reactor to assess its performance towards these alkenes. The suitability and efficiency of the catalyst have been compared by studying the effect of reaction temperature, feed mole ratio of alkene to TBHP, catalyst loading, and reaction time on the yield of 1,2-epoxy-5-hexene and 1,2-epoxy-7-octene. Response surface methodology (RSM) using Box–Behnken Design (BBD) has been employed to design experimental runs and study the catalytic performance of the PBI.Mo catalyst for all batch experimental results. A quadratic regression model has been developed representing an empirical relationship between reaction variables and response, which is the yield of epoxides. The numerical optimisation technique concluded that the maximum yield that can be reached is 66.22% for 1,7-octadiene and 64.2% for 1,5-hexadiene. The reactivity of alkenes was observed to follow the sequence 1,5-hexadiene > 1,7-octadiene. The findings of this study confirm that the optimal reaction conditions vary between the two reactions, indicating differences in catalytic performance for each alkene. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers in Reactions in 2025)
Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 4491 KiB  
Article
CASPT2 Study of the Unimolecular Reactions of Nitromethane—A Look at the Roaming Reactions in the Decomposition of Nitromethane: An Exergonic Route at High Temperatures
by Juan Soto
Reactions 2025, 6(1), 21; https://doi.org/10.3390/reactions6010021 - 12 Mar 2025
Viewed by 699
Abstract
In this work, we studied the main decomposition reactions on the ground state of nitromethane (CH3NO2) with the CASPT2 approach. The energetics of the main elementary reactions of the title molecule have been analyzed on the basis of Gibbs [...] Read more.
In this work, we studied the main decomposition reactions on the ground state of nitromethane (CH3NO2) with the CASPT2 approach. The energetics of the main elementary reactions of the title molecule have been analyzed on the basis of Gibbs free energies obtained from standard expressions of statistical thermodynamics. In addition, we describe a mapping method (orthogonalized 3D representation) for the potential energy surfaces (PESs) by defining an orthonormal basis consisting of two Rn orthonormal vectors (n, internal degrees of freedom) that allows us to obtain a set of ordered points in the plane (vector subspace) spanned by such a basis. Geometries and harmonic frequencies of all species and orthogonalized 3D representations of the PESs have been computed with the CASPT2 approach. It is found that all of the analyzed kinetically controlled reactions of nitromethane are endergonic. For such a class of reactions, the dissociation of nitromethane into CH3 and NO2 is the process with the lower activation energy barrier (ΔG); that is, the C-N bond cleavage is the most favorable process. In contrast, there exists a dynamically controlled process that evolves through a roaming reaction mechanism and is an exergonic reaction at high temperatures: CH3NO2 → [CH3NO2]* → [CH3ONO]* → CH3O + NO. The above assertions are supported by CASPT2 mappings of the potential energy surfaces (PESs) and classical trajectories obtained by “on-the fly” CASSCF molecular dynamics calculations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers in Reactions in 2025)
Show Figures

Figure 1

10 pages, 1316 KiB  
Communication
Palladium-Catalyzed α-Arylation of Esters: Synthesis of the Tetrahydroisoquinoline Ring
by Georgeta Serban and Faïza Diaba
Reactions 2025, 6(1), 17; https://doi.org/10.3390/reactions6010017 - 1 Mar 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 635
Abstract
The palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction used for carbon–carbon bond formation is one of the most commonly applied reactions in modern organic synthesis. In this work, a concise strategy was developed for constructing the tetrahydroisoquinoline core, a key structural motif found in many biologically active [...] Read more.
The palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction used for carbon–carbon bond formation is one of the most commonly applied reactions in modern organic synthesis. In this work, a concise strategy was developed for constructing the tetrahydroisoquinoline core, a key structural motif found in many biologically active compounds. This method involves the palladium-catalyzed intramolecular coupling of aryl iodides with ester enolates generated in the presence of K3PO4 as a base, resulting in the formation of the tetrahydroisoquinoline ring with an exceptionally high yield of 84%. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers in Reactions in 2025)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

28 pages, 12427 KiB  
Review
Photocatalytic Degradation of Methyl Orange in Wastewater Using TiO2-Based Coatings Prepared by Plasma Electrolytic Oxidation of Titanium: A Review
by Stevan Stojadinović
Reactions 2025, 6(2), 25; https://doi.org/10.3390/reactions6020025 - 8 Apr 2025
Viewed by 678
Abstract
This review analyzes TiO2-based coatings formed by the plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) process of titanium for the photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange (MO) under simulated solar irradiation conditions. PEO is recognized as a useful technique for creating oxide coatings on various [...] Read more.
This review analyzes TiO2-based coatings formed by the plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) process of titanium for the photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange (MO) under simulated solar irradiation conditions. PEO is recognized as a useful technique for creating oxide coatings on various metals, particularly titanium, to assist in the degradation of organic pollutants. TiO2-based photocatalysts in the form of coatings are more practical than TiO2-based photocatalysts in the form of powder because the photocatalyst does not need to be recycled and reused after wastewater degradation treatment, which is an expensive and time-consuming process. In addition, the main advantage of PEO in the synthesis of TiO2-based photocatalysts is its short processing time (a few minutes), as it excludes the annealing step needed to convert the amorphous TiO2 into a crystalline phase, a prerequisite for a possible photocatalytic application. Pure TiO2 coatings formed by PEO have a low photocatalytic efficiency in the degradation of MO, which is due to the rapid recombination of the photo-generated electron/hole pairs. In this review, recent advances in the sensitization of TiO2 with narrow band gap semiconductors (WO3, SnO2, CdS, Sb2O3, Bi2O3, and Al2TiO5), doping with rare earth ions (example Eu3+) and transition metals (Mn, Ni, Co, Fe) are summarized as an effective strategy to reduce the recombination of photo-generated electron/hole pairs and to improve the photocatalytic efficiency of TiO2 coatings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers in Reactions in 2025)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop