Immobilized Molecular Water Oxidation Catalysts
A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Wastewater Treatment and Reuse".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 November 2021) | Viewed by 11532
Special Issue Editor
Interests: Water oxidation catalysis; Heterogeneous catalysis; Electrocatalysis; Polyoxometalates; Metal–organic frameworks; Hybrid materials; Computation of reaction mechanisms
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Sunlight is the most promising energy source to reduce anthropogenic CO2 emissions while meeting the global energy demand. Nevertheless, because of its intermittency, it needs to be harvested and stored in the form of energy vectors that can be consumed on demand in an environmentally friendly process. Artificial photosynthesis can produce these energy vectors using water as a source of reducing equivalents, for example through the water splitting reaction to produce H2 or via the reduction of CO2 resulting in energy-rich hydrocarbons. However, the implementation of these concepts is hampered by the high energy demand and sluggish kinetics of the water oxidation half-reaction (2H2O → O2 + 4H+ + 4e‒). Therefore, research into water oxidation catalysts (WOCs) that reduce the energy requirements, while boosting the kinetics, is of paramount importance.
The molecular WOC family has exponentially grown during the last decades, ranging from mono- or multi-metal organometallic compounds to metal-oxo clusters and all-inorganic polyoxometalates. In general, molecular WOCs possess superior catalytic performances than heterogeneous systems, as well as a higher synthetic amenability and processability. However, the identification of the true active species is not trivial, as the oxidation of the organic counterparts or the lability of the metal centers can lead to the in-situ formation of metal oxides that preclude their proper characterization. Recent research has overcome this problem via the immobilization of the molecular WOCs into solid supports (heterogenization) resulting in hybrid catalysts. Hence, hybrid materials combine the excellent activity of molecular WOCs with the robustness and recyclability of heterogeneous systems. The development of this methodology has also been possible due to the development of sophisticated characterization techniques and the advances in modern computational methods, which in turn highlight the multidisciplinarity of the field. Therefore, it is easy to imagine that a real breakthrough in the development and deployment of such technology will only be possible through the cooperation and collaboration of different research groups across the globe.
This Special Issue brings together the latest advances in the research of molecular WOCs. Emphasis will be placed on the different heterogenization approaches, as well as the characterization and computational modeling of these hybrid systems. The Issue aims to put into perspective the current state-of-the-art WOC research and to draw attention towards future challenges and opportunities that will allow us to drive to a financially attractive position for the production of clean, sustainable, and renewable energy.
Dr. Joaquín Soriano-López
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- Molecular water oxidation catalysts
- Heterogenization of molecular catalysts
- Immobilization of molecular catalysts
- Hybrid catalysts
- Artificial photosynthesis
- Oxygen evolution reaction
- Electrocatalysis
- Photocatalysis
- Computation of reaction mechanisms
