Nanostructured Electrocatalysts

A special issue of Nanomaterials (ISSN 2079-4991). This special issue belongs to the section "Energy and Catalysis".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 September 2024) | Viewed by 4078

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Electron Microscopy Center, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China
Interests: electrochemical energy storage and conversion; heterogeneous catalysis; surface and interface science; advanced electron microscopy
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Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory of Automotive Simulation and Control, Key Laboratory of Automobile Materials MOE, School of Materials Science & Engineering, Jilin Provincial International Cooperation Key Laboratory of High-Efficiency Clean Energy Materials, International Center of Future Science, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China
Interests: carbon-related nanomaterials; 2D materials; electrode materials for energy storage and conversion; supercapacitor
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Due to their adjustable morphology and surface group, nanostructured catalysts are of great significance in the electrochemical field, especially in ORR, HER, OER, HOR, CO2RR, and NRR electrocatalysis. Electrocatalysis is the electrochemical reaction that happens at the solid, liquid, and gas interface, during which a catalyst is necessary to lower the reaction energy barrier and accelerate the reaction rate. For an electrocatalyst, the active site is crucial to accomplish the expected performance. The intentional development of catalysts with rich active sites has been the motivation to speed up the electrochemical reactions with sluggish dynamics. Notably, with a large specific surface area, nanostructured materials have particular advantages in fabricating high-density active centers, which can be achieved with an elaborate design. Designing highly active nanostructured electrocatalysts requires two strategies: the bottom-up synthesis process or top-down modified technology. Accordingly, various nanostructured carbons, metals, oxides, hydroxides, sulfides, and phosphides have been prepared and used as catalysts in electrocatalysis.

This Special Issue focuses on the progress of elaborate nanostructured electrocatalysts with a high active site density that manifest high activity, selectivity, and durability. We hope to develop a methodology system for architecturing nanostructured electrocatalysts with high performance. We invite the submission of articles from leading groups in this discipline that contribute original research and reviews concerning the advanced strategy for fabricating nanostructured electrocatalysts.

Potential topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

  1. Nanocarbon-based catalysts designed by structural controlling;
  2. Nanometals, -oxides, or -composites based on novel synthesis technology;
  3. Nanofilms derived from autocatalytic growth;
  4. Active site research based on nanostructured electrocatalysts;
  5. Advanced morphology controlling technologies for nanostructured electrocatalysts;
  6. Advanced characterization technologies for active sites;
  7. In situ technologies or metal–support interaction research based on nanostructured electrocatalysts.

Prof. Dr. Wei Zhang
Prof. Dr. Weitao Zheng
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • electrocatalysis
  • nanomaterials
  • surface and interface
  • structural characterization
  • active site

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

10 pages, 2160 KiB  
Article
Fe3N Nanoparticle-Encapsulated N-Doped Carbon Nanotubes on Biomass-Derived Carbon Cloth as Self-Standing Electrocatalyst for Oxygen Reduction Reaction
by Yongxin Zhao, Dandan Liu, Yubin Tian, Yuzhu Zhai, Chaofan Tian, Sen Li, Tao Xing, Zhi Li and Pengcheng Dai
Nanomaterials 2023, 13(17), 2439; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13172439 - 28 Aug 2023
Viewed by 1430
Abstract
The design and fabrication of low-cost catalysts for highly efficient oxygen reduction are of paramount importance for various renewable energy-related technologies, such as fuel cells and metal–air batteries. Herein, we report the synthesis of Fe3N nanoparticle-encapsulated N-doped carbon nanotubes on the [...] Read more.
The design and fabrication of low-cost catalysts for highly efficient oxygen reduction are of paramount importance for various renewable energy-related technologies, such as fuel cells and metal–air batteries. Herein, we report the synthesis of Fe3N nanoparticle-encapsulated N-doped carbon nanotubes on the surface of a flexible biomass-derived carbon cloth (Fe3N@CNTs/CC) via a simple one-step carbonization process. Taking advantage of its unique structure, Fe3N@CNTs/CC was employed as a self-standing electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and possessed high activity as well as excellent long-term stability and methanol resistance in alkaline media. Remarkably, Fe3N@CNT/CC can directly play the role of both a gas diffusion layer and an electrocatalytic cathode in a zinc–air battery without additional means of catalyst loading, and it displays higher open-circuit voltage, power density, and specific capacity in comparison with a commercial Pt/C catalyst. This work is anticipated to inspire the design of cost-effective, easily prepared, and high-performance air electrodes for advanced electrochemical applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanostructured Electrocatalysts)
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10 pages, 4062 KiB  
Article
Self-Assembly of Copper Oxide Interfaced MnO2 for Oxygen Evolution Reaction
by Chinna Bathula, Abhishek Meena, Sankar Sekar, Aditya Narayan Singh, Ritesh Soni, Adel El-Marghany, Ramasubba Reddy Palem and Hyun-Seok Kim
Nanomaterials 2023, 13(16), 2329; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13162329 - 13 Aug 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2200
Abstract
Designing efficient electrocatalytic systems through facile synthesis remains a formidable task. To address this issue, this paper presents the design of a combination material comprising two transition metal oxides (copper oxide and manganese oxide (CuO/MnO2)), synthesized using a conventional microwave technique [...] Read more.
Designing efficient electrocatalytic systems through facile synthesis remains a formidable task. To address this issue, this paper presents the design of a combination material comprising two transition metal oxides (copper oxide and manganese oxide (CuO/MnO2)), synthesized using a conventional microwave technique to efficiently engage as an active oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalyst. The structural and morphological properties of the composite were confirmed by the aid of X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and energy-dispersive spectrometry (EDS). FESEM clearly indicated well-aligned interlacing of CuO with MnO2. The OER performance was carried out in 1 M KOH. The assembled CuO/MnO2 delivered a benchmark current density (j = 10 mA cm−2) at a minimal overpotential (η = 294 mV), while pristine CuO required a high η (316 mV). Additionally, the CuO/MnO2 electrocatalyst exhibited stability for more than 15 h. These enhanced electrochemical performances were attributed to the large volume and expanded diameter of the pores, which offer ample surface area for catalytic reactions to boost OER. Furthermore, the rate kinetics of the OER are favored in composite due to low Tafel slope (77 mV/dec) compared to CuO (80 mV/dec). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanostructured Electrocatalysts)
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