Innovative Strategies for (Photo)Electrocatalytic Water Splitting and CO2 Reduction

A special issue of Catalysts (ISSN 2073-4344). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Catalysis".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 February 2023) | Viewed by 10946

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Chemistry and Biology, University of Siegen, Paul-Bonatz-Straße 9-11,57076 Siegen, Germany
Interests: energy conversion; photocatalysis; electrocatalysis; semiconductors; nanomaterials

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Guest Editor
Chemistry and Structure of novel Materials, University of Siegen, Paul-Bonatz-Straße 9-11,57076 Siegen, Germany
Interests: functional nanostructured oxides; hybrid inorganic–organic nanoarchitectures; energy conversion; photocatalysis; biomaterials

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Guest Editor
Department of Materials Science WW4-LKO, Friedrich-Alexander University, 91058 Erlangen, Germany
Interests: nanomaterials; nanostructuring; nanomanufacturing; biomaterials; functional biomaterials; semiconductors; photocatalysis; electrocatalysis; X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy; surface anaylsis techniques; single atoms
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

(Photo)electrocatalytic production of hydrogen (H2) and oxygen (O2) from water and reduction in greenhouse gas CO2 to value added materials are widely targeted by scientific research and technology for providing clean fuels as well as storing solar energy in the simplest chemical form, namely, the hydrogen–hydrogen bond (H–H).

An efficient strategy that enables high reaction yield is the key element toward commercialization. This Special Issue focuses on innovative strategies for (photo)electrocatalytic water splitting and CO2 reduction.

In this context, introducing novel morphologies and composite materials for enhancing the efficiency and selectivity of reactions is of crucial importance. The Special Issue welcomes research topics based on single atom catalysis and visible active catalysts. The ultimate goal is to strive for a strategy to improve efficiency and stability of the material for (photo)electrocatalytic water splitting and CO2 reduction.

Original works within the scope of this Special Issue in the form of full papers or communications are all welcome. Mini reviews on an overview of the state of the art with outlooks toward future trends in this field of study will also be considered.

Dr. Shiva Mohajernia
Prof. Dr. Manuela S. Killian
Dr. Anca Mazare
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • Water splitting
  • CO2 reduction
  • Photocatalysis
  • Electrocatalysis
  • Photoelectrochemistry
  • Cocatalysts
  • Single atom

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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9 pages, 2051 KiB  
Article
Lignin Electrolysis at Room Temperature on Nickel Foam for Hydrogen Generation: Performance Evaluation and Effect of Flow Rate
by Mohmmad Khalid, Biswajit Samir De, Aditya Singh and Samaneh Shahgaldi
Catalysts 2022, 12(12), 1646; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal12121646 - 15 Dec 2022
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3767
Abstract
Water electrolysis is a thermodynamically energy-intensive process. One approach employed to make water electrolysis kinetically favorable is replacing the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) at the anode by facile electrooxidation of biomass-feedstocks such as ethanol, methanol, glycerol, and lignin due to the presence of [...] Read more.
Water electrolysis is a thermodynamically energy-intensive process. One approach employed to make water electrolysis kinetically favorable is replacing the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) at the anode by facile electrooxidation of biomass-feedstocks such as ethanol, methanol, glycerol, and lignin due to the presence of readily oxidizable functional groups. In this work, we report a simplistic approach for hydrogen generation by lignin electrolysis, utilizing a low-cost nickel foam as both anode and cathode sandwiched with hydroxide ion (OH-) exchange membrane in a 3D printed reactor. The performance of the lignin electrolysis was analyzed under various flow rates of anolyte (lignin)/catholyte (KOH) in the anode and cathode chambers. The lignin electrolysis outcompetes traditional water electrolysis by achieving higher current density in the applied voltage range from 0 to 2.5 V at room temperature. The charge transfer resistance for the lignin electrolysis is lower than that of the water electrolysis characterized by impedance spectroscopy. The enhanced current density from the lignin electrolysis at low overvoltage has been presumed from the oxidation of reactive functional groups present in the lignin, facilitating faster electron transfer. Moreover, the hydrogen production rate calculated from the chronoamperometry test of the lignin electrolysis is 2.7 times higher than that of water electrolysis. Thus, the electrochemical oxidation of lignin can potentially lower the capital cost of renewable hydrogen production. Full article
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10 pages, 2817 KiB  
Article
Well-Defined Ultrasmall V-NiP2 Nanoparticles Anchored g-C3N4 Nanosheets as Highly Efficient Visible-Light-Driven Photocatalysts for H2 Evolution
by Mengfan Niu, Liyun Cao, Qianqian Liu, Xiaoyi Li, Qian Chen, Dinghan Liu, Wenbin Li, Jianfeng Huang and Liangliang Feng
Catalysts 2022, 12(9), 998; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal12090998 - 5 Sep 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2160
Abstract
Exploring low-cost and highly active, cost-effective cocatalysts is of great significance to improve the hydrogen evolution performance of semiconductor photocatalysts. Herein, a novel ultrasmall V-doped NiP2 nanoparticle, as an efficient cocatalyst, is reported to largely upgrade the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) [...] Read more.
Exploring low-cost and highly active, cost-effective cocatalysts is of great significance to improve the hydrogen evolution performance of semiconductor photocatalysts. Herein, a novel ultrasmall V-doped NiP2 nanoparticle, as an efficient cocatalyst, is reported to largely upgrade the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) of g-C3N4 nanosheets under visible-light irradiation. Experimental results demonstrate that V-NiP2 cocatalyst can enhance the visible-light absorption ability, facilitate the separation of photo-generated electron-hole pairs and boost the transfer ability of electrons of g-C3N4. Moreover, the V-NiP2/g-C3N4 hybrid exhibits prominent photocatalytic HER activity 17 times higher than the pristine g-C3N4 counterpart, even outperforming the 1 wt.% platinum-loaded g-C3N4. This work displays that noble-metal-free V-NiP2 cocatalyst can serve as a promising and efficient alternative to Pt for high-efficiency photocatalytic H2 evolution. Full article
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Review

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19 pages, 4704 KiB  
Review
Single-Atom-Based Catalysts for Photocatalytic Water Splitting on TiO2 Nanostructures
by Seyedsina Hejazi, Manuela S. Killian, Anca Mazare and Shiva Mohajernia
Catalysts 2022, 12(8), 905; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal12080905 - 17 Aug 2022
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3821
Abstract
H2 generation from photocatalytic water splitting is one of the most promising approaches to producing cost-effective and sustainable fuel. Nanostructured TiO2 is a highly stable and efficient semiconductor photocatalyst for this purpose. The main drawback of TiO2 as a photocatalyst [...] Read more.
H2 generation from photocatalytic water splitting is one of the most promising approaches to producing cost-effective and sustainable fuel. Nanostructured TiO2 is a highly stable and efficient semiconductor photocatalyst for this purpose. The main drawback of TiO2 as a photocatalyst is the sluggish charge transfer on the surface of TiO2 that can be tackled to a great extent by the use of platinum group materials (PGM) as co-catalysts. However, the scarcity and high cost of the PGMs is one of the issues that prevent the widespread use of TiO2/PGM systems for photocatalytic H2 generation. Single-atom catalysts which are currently the frontline in the catalysis field can be a favorable path to overcome the scarcity and further advance the use of noble metals. More importantly, single-atom (SA) catalysts simultaneously have the advantage of homogenous and heterogeneous catalysts. This mini-review specifically focuses on the single atom decoration of TiO2 nanostructures for photocatalytic water splitting. The latest progress in fabrication, characterization, and application of single-atoms in photocatalytic H2 generation on TiO2 is reviewed. Full article
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