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Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Hongfei Cheng

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Guest Editor

College of Materials Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 201804, China
Interests: metal-based nanomaterials; crystal phase; amorphous structures; heterostructures; electrocatalysis; energy conversion

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In the periodic table of elements, metals comprise around 80% of all the elements, and can form various chemical bonds with metallic and non-metallic elements. Thus, metal-based nanomaterials represent a huge family of materials that includes pure metals and metal-based compounds and composites, playing a vital role in a wide range of applications. This Special Issue will focus on the metal-based nanomaterials used for catalytic (such as thermo-, electro-, and photo-electrocatalysis) and electrochemical applications (such as fuel cells, batteries, supercapacitors, and sensors). The physiochemical properties of metal-based nanomaterials can vary a lot depending on the composition, size, morphology, crystal structure, defects, etc. Great progress has been achieved in our understanding of the correlation between material structure, property, and performance, but challenges still remain. This Special Issue aims to uncover the latest advances in this promising area and inspire more fascinating works.

Contributions to this Special Issue may cover any advances related to the synthesis and characterization of metal-based nanomaterials designed for catalysis and electrochemistry, as well as the mechanisms underlying catalytic and electrochemical reactions. We would like to invite you to submit research articles or reviews that are related to any of the aforementioned topics.

Prof. Dr. Hongfei Cheng
Guest Editor

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. Molecules 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 2700 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

metal-based nanomaterials
material synthesis
reaction mechanism
catalysis
electrochemistry
energy applications

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 8202 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Design and Performance of a New Zn_0.5Mg_0.5FeMnO₄ Porous Spinel as Anode Material for Li-Ion Batteries

by Zakaria Chchiyai, Oumayema El Ghali, Abdelilah Lahmar, Jones Alami and Bouchaib Manoun

Molecules 2023, 28(20), 7010; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules28207010 - 10 Oct 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1051

Abstract

Due to the low capacity, low working potential, and lithium coating at fast charging rates of graphite material as an anode for Li-ion batteries (LIBs), it is necessary to develop novel anode materials for LIBs with higher capacity, excellent electrochemical stability, and good safety. Among different transition-metal oxides, AB₂O₄ spinel oxides are promising anode materials for LIBs due to their high theoretical capacities, environmental friendliness, high abundance, and low cost. In this work, a novel, porous Zn_0.5Mg_0.5FeMnO₄ spinel oxide was successfully prepared via the sol–gel method and then studied as an anode material for Li-ion batteries (LIBs). Its crystal structure, morphology, and electrochemical properties were, respectively, analyzed through X-ray diffraction, high-resolution scanning electron microscopy, and cyclic voltammetry/galvanostatic discharge/charge measurements. From the X-ray diffraction, Zn_0.5Mg_0.5FeMnO₄ spinel oxide was found to crystallize in the cubic structure with Fd

\bar{3}

m symmetry. However, the Zn_0.5Mg_0.5FeMnO₄ spinel oxide exhibited a porous morphology formed by interconnected 3D nanoparticles. The porous Zn_0.5Mg_0.5FeMnO₄ anode showed good cycling stability in its capacity during the initial 40 cycles with a retention capacity of 484.1 mAh g⁻¹ after 40 cycles at a current density of 150 mA g⁻¹, followed by a gradual decrease in the range of 40–80 cycles, which led to reaching a specific capacity close to 300.0 mAh g⁻¹ after 80 cycles. The electrochemical reactions of the lithiation/delithiation processes and the lithium-ion storage mechanism are discussed and extracted from the cyclic voltammetry curves. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Metal-Based Nanomaterials in Catalysis and Electrochemistry)

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Graphical abstract

Review

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18 pages, 3606 KiB

Open AccessReview

Strain Engineering of Unconventional Crystal-Phase Noble Metal Nanocatalysts

by Jie Wang, Jiang Ye, Sixuan Chen and Qinyong Zhang

Molecules 2024, 29(7), 1617; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules29071617 - 03 Apr 2024

Viewed by 509

Abstract

The crystal phase, alongside the composition, morphology, architecture, facet, size, and dimensionality, has been recognized as a critical factor influencing the properties of noble metal nanomaterials in various applications. In particular, unconventional crystal phases can potentially enable fascinating properties in noble metal nanomaterials. Recent years have witnessed notable advances in the phase engineering of nanomaterials (PEN). Within the accessible strategies for phase engineering, the effect of strain cannot be ignored because strain can act not only as the driving force of phase transition but also as the origin of the diverse physicochemical properties of the unconventional crystal phase. In this review, we highlight the development of unconventional crystal-phase noble metal nanomaterials within strain engineering. We begin with a short introduction of the unconventional crystal phase and strain effect in noble metal nanomaterials. Next, the correlations of the structure and performance of strain-engineered unconventional crystal-phase noble metal nanomaterials in electrocatalysis are highlighted, as well as the phase transitions of noble metal nanomaterials induced by the strain effect. Lastly, the challenges and opportunities within this rapidly developing field (i.e., the strain engineering of unconventional crystal-phase noble metal nanocatalysts) are discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Metal-Based Nanomaterials in Catalysis and Electrochemistry)

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