Symmetry in Catalyst and Materials Processing of Energy Conversion Systems
A special issue of Symmetry (ISSN 2073-8994). This special issue belongs to the section "Engineering and Materials".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2026 | Viewed by 165
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The study of catalysts and materials processing for energy conversion systems is closely related to symmetry. For example, the atomic and crystallographic symmetry of catalytic materials fundamentally governs their electronic structure, active sites, and reaction pathways. Symmetry and symmetry breaking at surfaces and interfaces plays a critical role in controlling catalytic selectivity, activity, and stability during chemical and electrochemical energy conversion processes. Likewise, the spatial symmetry of porous structures, multiphase media, and hierarchical materials strongly influences mass transfer, heat transport, and reaction kinetics.
In materials processing, symmetry considerations are essential in phase transitions, defect formation, and anisotropic transport phenomena, directly affecting the performance of energy conversion devices such as fuel cells, batteries, electrolyzers, and photocatalytic systems. Moreover, symmetry is an important topic in carbon management technologies, including CO2 capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS), where pore symmetry, interfacial ordering, and transport pathways determine CO2 adsorption, diffusion, and immobilization efficiency. Gas hydrates, characterized by highly symmetric crystalline frameworks, represent a particularly relevant system for CO2 storage and separation, where hydrate formation, stability, and sealing behavior are closely linked to molecular and structural symmetry.
This Special Issue invites researchers to submit original research articles and review papers pertaining to catalysts, materials processing, and energy conversion systems in which theoretical or practical aspects of symmetry are considered. Applied studies and experimental–computational approaches are particularly welcome. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Symmetry in catalyst crystal structures and active site design;
- Symmetry breaking at surfaces and interfaces in catalytic reactions;
- Symmetry in porous materials, membranes, and multiphase media;
- Symmetry effects in electrochemical, thermal, and photocatalytic energy conversion;
- Symmetry-guided materials synthesis and processing strategies;
- Symmetry in CO2 capture, utilization, and storage materials;
- The structural symmetry and phase behavior of gas hydrates;
- Symmetry-driven transport phenomena in energy materials;
- Modeling and algorithms for symmetry analysis in catalysts and energy systems.
Dr. Qian Ouyang
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. Symmetry 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.
Keywords
- symmetry engineering
- catalysts and functional materials
- energy conversion systems
- materials processing
- surface and interfacial symmetry
- porous and multiphase media
- CO2 capture and storage
- gas hydrates
- mass transport
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