Multifunctional Catalysts for Electrochemical or Photoelectrochemical Fuel Production
A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Nanotechnology and Applied Nanosciences".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2021) | Viewed by 7141
Special Issue Editor
Interests: photoelectrochemistry; electrochemistry; catalysis; nanomaterials synthesis for energy application
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Collegaues,
The prospective view of considering energy as a global asset is growing rapidly due to its adequate demand. The classical route of depending on fossil fuels for the future energy demands is in deep crisis due to the depletion of non-renewable resources and the cumulative global warming. This enforces an immediate search for alternate renewable energy resources (e.g., energy conversion and storage (ECS) systems) as essential to lay a concrete approach for generating renewable energy resources. Among the ECS systems, fuel cells, electrochemical water splitting, and metal–air batteries are emerging to be a well-recognized renewable and clean energy resource to reduce the prominent use of fossil fuels. These ECS systems can be effortlessly engineered to integrate with solar energy to sustain an environmentally friendly source of energy. The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is well-thought-out as an insight in fuel cells, like the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) alongside the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction with oxygen reduction reaction is for water-splitting and metal–air batteries. The ECS systems are highly dependent on their electrocatalysts or photocatalysts, which determine their operational efficiency in obtaining high ORR, OER, and HER activity. The OER is a four-electron coupled reaction that necessitates a higher standard thermodynamic overpotential (1.23 V vs. RHE) compared to the two-electron HER (0 V vs. RHE). Catalysts play a crucial role in the reaction rate and efficiency that promotes the electrochemical process in overcoming a certain activation energy barrier called the overpotential, which is essentially higher than the thermodynamic Nernstian potential. So, catalysts are determined to lower the reaction overpotential by activating the intermediate chemical transformation. At present, platinum and ruthenium or iridium-based noble metals are employed as superior catalysts to generate enhanced ORR, OER, and HER activity. The high cost and limited resources of these noble metals restrict the application of these technologies in the commercial market. Hence, establishing a front-line ECS system by developing an innovative non-noble advanced multifunctional catalyst for electrochemical or photoelectrochemical fuel production is the dynamic task of the present scenario. This Special Issue of the journal Applied Sciences entitled “Multifunctional Catalysts for Electrochemical or Photoelectrochemical Fuel Production,” aims to provide a platform for thorough coverage of the development of advanced multifunctional electrocatalysts and photocatalysts for potential energy conversion and storage applications.
Prof. Dr. Uk Sim
Guest Editor
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