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Photo(electro)catalytic Water Splitting for H2 Production

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A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "A5: Hydrogen Energy".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 December 2021) | Viewed by 36688

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Habib Ullah

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Guest Editor

Renewable Energy, Environment and Sustainability Institute, College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Science, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn TR10 9FE, UK
Interests: Design & Development of Energy Materials; Density Functional Theory; Photocatalysis; Electrocatalysis OER/HER; Organic Solar Cell; Thermal Energy Storage-Phase Change Materials

Dr. Asif Ali Tahir

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Guest Editor

Environment and Sustainability Institute,College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Science,University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn TR10 9FE, UK
Interests: solar to chemical energy conversion; solar hydrogen production; photoreduction of waste plastic to fuel; energy storage; photocatalysis; energy-efficient buildings; wastewater treatment; DSSCS
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We welcome your submission to this Special Issue, which is intended to collect a series of papers on the thematic issue of “Photo(electro)catalytic Water Splitting for H₂ Production.”

The energy demand will increase with the increase in human population, and fossil fuels will not be able to fulfill this demand. Hydrogen is a promising alternative to unsustainable fossil fuels due to its vital role in ammonia and clean-burning fuel production. As we know, about 96% of the world’s hydrogen comes from the reformation of fossil fuels, which utilize high energy, followed by serious CO₂ emissions. The biggest technological challenges towards realizing sustainable energy production are the development of new materials and devices, capable of harnessing and storing energy cleanly and sustainably. Efficient and sustainable hydrogen can be produced with the help of the state-of-the-art photocatalysis and Electrocatalysis from water splitting. Water Splitting is one of the most efficient and reliable approaches to produce hydrogen from renewable energy, such as solar, wind, and hydropower for large scale energy storage. This is an economically efficient way, where electrolysis of water can be achieved at room temperature, and the only required inputs are water and energy (electricity). The main challenge of water splitting is efficiency, stability, cheap earth-abundant catalyst, and the separation of H₂ and O₂ during the reaction. Development of efficient, cost-effective, and stable electrocatalysts for water oxidation is very useful in promising energy conversion technologies such as water electrolyzers, integrated solar water-splitting devices, and Li-based batteries. Water splitting is a combination of two half-reactions, where the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) occur at the anode and cathode, respectively, of an electrochemical cell.

The vision of this Special Issue is to report novel catalysts for (photo) electrochemical conversion processes which can convert water into a high-value chemical product such as Hydrogen. We invite researchers to contribute review and original articles, which covers but not limited to the following topics.

Computational Modelling of Catalysts for Water Splitting
Reaction Mechanism of Oxygen Evolution Reaction & Hydrogen Evolution Reaction Catalysts
2D materials for Water Electrolysis
Perovskites-based Photo or Electrocatalysts
Metal oxides for Photoelectrochemical process
Z-Scheme Heterojunctions-based Photo(electro)catalysts

Dr. Habib Ullah
Dr. Asif Tahir
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Energies is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

Photocatalysis
Electrocatalysis
Environment Remediation
Density Functional Theory
Hydrogen Evolution Reaction
Oxygen Evolution Reaction
Material Design
Z-Scheme Heterojunction
Metal Oxides

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 4595 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of MXene Loaded on g-C₃N₄ Photocatalyst for the Photocatalytic Degradation of Methylene Blue

by Muhammad Syahmi Irfan Nasri, Mohamad Fakhrul Ridhwan Samsudin, Asif Ali Tahir and Suriati Sufian

Energies 2022, 15(3), 955; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en15030955 - 28 Jan 2022

Cited by 27 | Viewed by 4648

Abstract

Photocatalytic degradation is one of the environmentally friendly methods used in treating dye wastewater. In this study, a series of MXene/g-C₃N₄ heterostructure photocatalysts with different loading amounts of MXene (1, 4, 8, and 12 wt.%) were successfully synthesized via the wet impregnation method and their photocatalytic activity was evaluated via the degradation of methylene blue under visible-light irradiation. As such, the 1 wt.% MXene/g-C₃N₄ heterostructure photocatalyst achieved a high degradation of methylene blue compared to the pure g-C₃N₄ under visible-light illumination of 180 min. This significant improvement was attributed to the intimate interfacial contact, evidently from the FESEM analysis, which allows the smooth photocharge carriers to transport between g-C₃N₄ and MXene. Additionally, the larger BET surface area demonstrated by the 1 wt.% MXene/g-C₃N₄ heterostructure allowed this sample to have higher adsorption of dye molecules and provided a higher number of reactive sites, which was beneficial for the enhancement of the photocatalytic activity. Nevertheless, it was found that the excessive loading of MXene can substantially impede photocatalytic activity. This was attributed to the decrease in the active sites, as well as the weakened crystallinity of the MXene/g-C₃N₄ heterostructure photocatalyst, evident from the FTIR and XRD analysis. All in all, this study has shown the potential of the MXene/g-C₃N₄ photocatalyst as a promising photocatalyst for highly efficient wastewater treatment applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photo(electro)catalytic Water Splitting for H2 Production)

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8 pages, 1368 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Ab initio Study of Hydrogen Adsorption on Metal-Decorated Borophene-Graphene Bilayer

by Konstantin S. Grishakov, Konstantin P. Katin, Alexey I. Kochaev, Savas Kaya, Margarita A. Gimaldinova and Mikhail M. Maslov

Energies 2021, 14(9), 2473; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en14092473 - 26 Apr 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2242

Abstract

We studied the hydrogen adsorption on the surface of a covalently bonded bilayer borophene-graphene heterostructure decorated with Pt, Ni, Ag, and Cu atoms. Due to its structure, the borophene-graphene bilayer combines borophene activity with the mechanical stability of graphene. Based on the density functional theory calculations, we determined the energies and preferred adsorption sites of these metal atoms on the heterostructure’s borophene surface. Since boron atoms in different positions can have different reactivities with respect to metal atoms, we considered seven possible adsorption positions. According to our calculations, all three metals adsorb in the top position above the boron atom and demonstrate catalytic activity. Among the metals considered, copper had the best characteristics. Copper-decorated heterostructure possesses a feasible near-zero overpotential for hydrogen evolution reaction. However, the borophene-graphene bilayer decorated with copper is unstable with respect to compression. Small deformations lead to irreversible structural changes in the system. Thus, compression cannot be used as an effective mechanism for additional potential reduction. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photo(electro)catalytic Water Splitting for H2 Production)

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16 pages, 4645 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sodium Tungsten Oxide Bronze Nanowires Bundles in Adsorption of Methylene Blue Dye under UV and Visible Light Exposure

by Kunyapat Thummavichai, Le Anh Thi, Swee-Yong Pung, Oluwafunmilola Ola, Mian Zahid Hussain, Yu Chen, Fang Xu, Wenting Chen, Nannan Wang and Yanqiu Zhu

Energies 2021, 14(5), 1322; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en14051322 - 01 Mar 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2030

Abstract

This paper describes the analysis and characterization of Na_yWO_x bronze nanowires bundles and evaluation of their effective adsorption of methylene blue dye (MB). The Na-doped WO_x bronze nanowires bundles were first synthesized via a simple solvothermal method, which were then fully characterized by using different techniques including TEM, XRD, XPS and UV-Vis, to validate the successful Na⁺ insertion into the WO_x framework. The adsorption activities of the resulting Na_yWO_x bronze nanowires bundles, compared with the undoped WO_x form, were investigated by evaluating the adsorption effect on methylene blue under both UV and visible light irradiations. An enhanced adsorption performance of the Na-doped WO_x bronze samples was recorded, which demonstrated a 90% of removal efficiency of the MB under different conditions (dark, visible and UV light). Moreover, the Na_yWO_x bronze samples also offered a 4 times better kinetic rate of MB removal than the plain WO_x nanowires. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photo(electro)catalytic Water Splitting for H2 Production)

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Review

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40 pages, 46171 KiB

Open AccessReview

A Review of Supercapacitors: Materials Design, Modification, and Applications

by Muhammad Yaseen, Muhammad Arif Khan Khattak, Muhammad Humayun, Muhammad Usman, Syed Shaheen Shah, Shaista Bibi, Bakhtiar Syed Ul Hasnain, Shah Masood Ahmad, Abbas Khan, Nasrullah Shah, Asif Ali Tahir and Habib Ullah

Energies 2021, 14(22), 7779; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en14227779 - 19 Nov 2021

Cited by 105 | Viewed by 14105

Abstract

Supercapacitors (SCs) have received much interest due to their enhanced electrochemical performance, superior cycling life, excellent specific power, and fast charging–discharging rate. The energy density of SCs is comparable to batteries; however, their power density and cyclability are higher by several orders of magnitude relative to batteries, making them a flexible and compromising energy storage alternative, provided a proper design and efficient materials are used. This review emphasizes various types of SCs, such as electrochemical double-layer capacitors, hybrid supercapacitors, and pseudo-supercapacitors. Furthermore, various synthesis strategies, including sol-gel, electro-polymerization, hydrothermal, co-precipitation, chemical vapor deposition, direct coating, vacuum filtration, de-alloying, microwave auxiliary, in situ polymerization, electro-spinning, silar, carbonization, dipping, and drying methods, are discussed. Furthermore, various functionalizations of SC electrode materials are summarized. In addition to their potential applications, brief insights into the recent advances and associated problems are provided, along with conclusions. This review is a noteworthy addition because of its simplicity and conciseness with regard to SCs, which can be helpful for researchers who are not directly involved in electrochemical energy storage. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photo(electro)catalytic Water Splitting for H2 Production)

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36 pages, 5082 KiB

Open AccessReview

Bismuth-Graphene Nanohybrids: Synthesis, Reaction Mechanisms, and Photocatalytic Applications—A Review

by Muhammad Usman, Muhammad Humayun, Syed Shaheen Shah, Habib Ullah, Asif A Tahir, Abbas Khan and Habib Ullah

Energies 2021, 14(8), 2281; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en14082281 - 19 Apr 2021

Cited by 51 | Viewed by 4884

Abstract

Photocatalysis is a classical solution to energy conversion and environmental pollution control problems. In photocatalysis, the development and exploration of new visible light catalysts and their synthesis and modification strategies are crucial. It is also essential to understand the mechanism of these reactions in the various reaction media. Recently, bismuth and graphene’s unique geometrical and electronic properties have attracted considerable attention in photocatalysis. This review summarizes bismuth-graphene nanohybrids’ synthetic processes with various design considerations, fundamental mechanisms of action, heterogeneous photocatalysis, benefits, and challenges. Some key applications in energy conversion and environmental pollution control are discussed, such as CO₂ reduction, water splitting, pollutant degradation, disinfection, and organic transformations. The detailed perspective of bismuth-graphene nanohybrids’ applications in various research fields presented herein should be of equal interest to academic and industrial scientists. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photo(electro)catalytic Water Splitting for H2 Production)

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88 pages, 32050 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceReview

Preparation, Functionalization, Modification, and Applications of Nanostructured Gold: A Critical Review

by Muhammad Yaseen, Muhammad Humayun, Abbas Khan, Muhammad Usman, Habib Ullah, Asif Ali Tahir and Habib Ullah

Energies 2021, 14(5), 1278; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en14051278 - 25 Feb 2021

Cited by 41 | Viewed by 6445

Abstract

Gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) play a significant role in science and technology because of their unique size, shape, properties and broad range of potential applications. This review focuses on the various approaches employed for the synthesis, modification and functionalization of nanostructured Au. The potential catalytic applications and their enhancement upon modification of Au nanostructures have also been discussed in detail. The present analysis also offers brief summaries of the major Au nanomaterials synthetic procedures, such as hydrothermal, solvothermal, sol-gel, direct oxidation, chemical vapor deposition, sonochemical deposition, electrochemical deposition, microwave and laser pyrolysis. Among the various strategies used for improving the catalytic performance of nanostructured Au, the modification and functionalization of nanostructured Au produced better results. Therefore, various synthesis, modification and functionalization methods employed for better catalytic outcomes of nanostructured Au have been summarized in this review. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photo(electro)catalytic Water Splitting for H2 Production)

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