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Water Splitting and CO2 Reduction via Electrocatalysis and Photocatalysis
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International Research Center for Renewable Energy, State Key Laboratory of Multiphase Flow in Power Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China
Prof. Dr. Nurdan Demirci Sankir
Faculty of Engineering, TOBB University of Economics and Technology, Ankara 06510, Turkey
Catalonia Institute for Energy Research (IREC), Jardins de les Dones de Negre 1, 08930 Sant Adrià de Besós, Spain
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Water Splitting and CO2 Reduction via Electrocatalysis and Photocatalysis

Abstract submission deadline
30 July 2026
Manuscript submission deadline
30 September 2026
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3108

Topic Information

Dear Colleagues,

In response to the global energy crisis and climate change, the efficient conversion of renewable energy sources into sustainable fuels has become crucial. Water splitting and CO2 reduction through electrocatalysis and photocatalysis are two promising approaches to addressing these challenges. These technologies can enable the production of H2 from water, a clean energy carrier, and the reduction of CO2 to useful chemicals, helping mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and support a circular carbon economy.

This proposal aims to explore novel materials, design strategies, and reaction mechanisms for enhancing the efficiency and stability of electrocatalysts and photocatalysts. The Topics of interest for publication include, but are not limited to, the following:

  1. Advanced photocatalyst and electrocatalyst design for water splitting and CO2 reduction;
  2. Reaction mechanisms of hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), oxygen evolution reaction (OER), and CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR);
  3. Advanced photocatalysis and electrocatalysis system design;
  4. Technical–economic evaluation;
  5. Carbon capture techniques;
  6. Efficiency enhancement strategy;
  7. Carbon-neutral energy systems and sustainable fuels;
  8. Energy harvesting and recovery;
  9. Renewable energy applications in electrochemical and photocatalytic systems;
  10. Experimental and characterization techniques;
  11. Advanced modeling and simulation methods;
  12. Market and policy analyses for the commercialization.

Prof. Dr. Yubin Chen
Prof. Dr. Nurdan Demirci Sankir
Dr. Sebastian Murcia-López
Topic Editors

Keywords

  • water splitting
  • CO2 reduction
  • electrocatalysis
  • photocatalysis
  • hydrogen production
  • carbon capture
  • sustainable fuels
  • circular carbon economy
  • advanced material
  • system design

Participating Journals

Journal Name Impact Factor CiteScore Launched Year First Decision (median) APC
Applied Sciences
applsci 		2.5 5.5 2011 16 Days CHF 2400 Submit
Catalysts
catalysts 		4.0 7.6 2011 15.9 Days CHF 2200 Submit
ChemEngineering
ChemEngineering 		3.4 4.9 2017 32.8 Days CHF 1800 Submit
Energies
energies 		3.2 7.3 2008 16.8 Days CHF 2600 Submit
Solar
solar 		- 4.3 2021 19.8 Days CHF 1200 Submit
Reactions
reactions 		2.2 3.3 2020 18.8 Days CHF 1200 Submit

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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15 pages, 4650 KB  
Article
Engineering Phosphorus Doping Graphitic Carbon Nitride for Efficient Visible-Light Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production
by Thi Chung Le, Truong Thanh Dang, Tahereh Mahvelati-Shamsabadi and Jin Suk Chung
Catalysts 2026, 16(1), 88; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal16010088 - 13 Jan 2026
Viewed by 261
Abstract
Modulating the electronic structure and surface properties of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) by chemically phosphorus doping is an effective strategy for improving its photocatalytic performance. However, in order to benefit from practical applications, the cost-effectiveness, efficiency, and optimization of [...] Read more.
Modulating the electronic structure and surface properties of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) by chemically phosphorus doping is an effective strategy for improving its photocatalytic performance. However, in order to benefit from practical applications, the cost-effectiveness, efficiency, and optimization of the doping level need to be investigated further. Herein, we report a structural doping of P into g-C3N4 by in situ polymerization of the mixture of dicyandiamide (DCDA) and phosphorus pentoxide (P2O5). As an alternative to previous studies that used complex organic phosphorus precursors or post-treatment strategies, this work proposed a one-pot thermal polycondensation method that is low-cost, scalable, and enables controlled phosphorus substitutions at carbon sites of the g-C3N4 heptazine structure. Most of the structural features of g-C3N4 were well retained after doping, but the electronic structures and light harvesting capacity had been effectively altered, which provided not only a much better charge separation but also an improvement in photocatalytic activity toward H2 evolution under irradiation of a simulated sunlight. The optimized sample with P-doping content of 9.35 at.% (0.5PGCN) exhibited an excellent photocatalytic performance toward H2 evolution, which is over 5 times higher than that of bulk g-C3N4. This work demonstrates a facile one-step in situ route for producing high-yield photocatalysts using low-cost commercial precursors, offering practical starting materials for studies in solar cells, polymer batteries, and photocatalytic applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Topic Water Splitting and CO2 Reduction via Electrocatalysis and Photocatalysis)
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13 pages, 5037 KB  
Article
First-Principles Study of Sn-Doped RuO2 as Efficient Electrocatalysts for Enhanced Oxygen Evolution
by Caiyan Zheng, Qian Gao and Zhenpeng Hu
Catalysts 2025, 15(8), 770; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal15080770 - 13 Aug 2025
Viewed by 1478
Abstract
Improving the catalytic performance of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) for water splitting in acidic media is crucial for the production of clean and renewable hydrogen energy. Herein, we study the OER electrocatalytic properties of various active sites on four exposed (110) and [...] Read more.
Improving the catalytic performance of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) for water splitting in acidic media is crucial for the production of clean and renewable hydrogen energy. Herein, we study the OER electrocatalytic properties of various active sites on four exposed (110) and (1¯10) surfaces of Sn-doped RuO2 (Sn/RuO2) with antiferromagnetic arrangements in acidic environments. The Sn/RuO2 bulk structure with the Cm space group exhibits favorable thermodynamic stability. The coordinatively unsaturated metal (Mcus) sites distributed on the right branch of the volcano plot are generally more active than the bridge-bonded lattice oxygen (Obr) sites located on the left. Different from the conventional knowledge that the most active site is located in the nearest neighbor of the doped atom, it has a lower OER overpotential when the active site is 3.6 Å away from the doped Sn atom. Among the sites studied, the 46-Rucus site exhibits the optimal OER catalytic performance. The inherent factors affecting the OER activity of each site on the Sn/RuO2 surface are further analyzed, including the center of the d/p band at the active sites, the average electrostatic potential of the ions, and the number of transferred electrons. This work provides a reminder for the selection of active sites used to evaluate catalytic performance, which will benefit the development of efficient OER electrocatalysts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Topic Water Splitting and CO2 Reduction via Electrocatalysis and Photocatalysis)
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13 pages, 2300 KB  
Article
A Hierarchically Structured Ni-NOF@ZIF-L Heterojunction Using Van Der Waals Interactions for Electrocatalytic Reduction of CO2 to HCOOH
by Liqun Wu, Xiaojun He and Jian Zhou
Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(14), 8095; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15148095 - 21 Jul 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 750
Abstract
The electrocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) offers an energy-saving and environmentally friendly approach to producing hydrocarbon fuels. The use of a gas diffusion electrode (GDE) flow cell has generally improved the rate of CO2RR, while the gas diffusion [...] Read more.
The electrocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) offers an energy-saving and environmentally friendly approach to producing hydrocarbon fuels. The use of a gas diffusion electrode (GDE) flow cell has generally improved the rate of CO2RR, while the gas diffusion layer (GDL) remains a significant challenge. In this study, we successfully engineered a novel metal–organic framework (MOF) heterojunction through the controlled coating of zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF-L) on ultrathin nickel—metal–organic framework (Ni-MOF) nanosheets. This innovative architecture simultaneously integrates GDL functionality and exposes abundant solid–liquid–gas triple-phase boundaries. The resulting Ni-MOF@ZIF-L heterostructure demonstrates exceptional performance, achieving a formate Faradaic efficiency of 92.4% while suppressing the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) to 6.7%. Through computational modeling of the optimized heterojunction configuration, we further elucidated its competitive adsorption behavior and electronic modulation effects. The experimental and theoretical results demonstrate an improvement in electrochemical CO2 reduction activity with suppressed hydrogen evolution for the heterojunction because of its hydrophobic interface, good electron transfer capability, and high CO2 adsorption at the catalyst interface. This work provides a new insight into the rational design of porous crystalline materials in electrocatalytic CO2RR. Full article
(This article belongs to the Topic Water Splitting and CO2 Reduction via Electrocatalysis and Photocatalysis)
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