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Nanomaterials
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Nanostructured Functional Materials for Photocatalysis
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Nanostructured Functional Materials for Photocatalysis

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 April 2024) | Viewed by 1450

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Alessandra Molinari

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Guest Editor
Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Farmaceutiche ed Agrarie, Università di Ferrara, Via Luigi Borsari 46, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
Interests: heterogeneous photocatalysis; semiconducting oxides and sulfides; (photo)oxidation and (photo)reduction reactions, functionalized heterogeneous photocatalysts; bioinorganic chemistry; biomimetic catalysis
Dr. Elisa I. García-López

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo, Italy
Interests: heterogeneous catalysis and photocatalysis; nanostructured catalysts; materials science in photocatalysis; biomass valorisation; photoreforming
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The idea that photocatalysis can provide alternative synthetic pathways, helping us move towards a more sustainable chemistry with a low environmental impact, has finally emerged. The heterogeneous systems that have been studied include a very broad range of photocatalytic materials: besides the most famous metal oxides and chalcogenides, other innovative materials have been the objects of intense research (e.g., MOFs, graphene, metal-free boron and carbon nitrides, metal complexes, etc.).

The efficient use of sunlight and maximizing efficiency and selectivity require that all steps of a photocatalytic process must be optimised. In principle, this can be achieved by tailoring the nature of the (photo)catalytic site and its microscopic environment. A combination of advances in the preparation of nanostructured materials with mechanistic knowledge derived from surface science and molecular-level investigations could lead to the correct design of composite photocatalysts with well-defined structural characteristics. The nanoscale organization of the microenvironment surrounding photoactive species is critical for controlling light absorption, charge carrier separation, and adsorption–desorption equilibria of reactants and products within and beyond site catalysts located within a porous network.

This Special Issue of "Nanomaterials" aims to present the most recent results in the preparation and characterization of nanostructured materials and their application in photocatalysis. We invite contributions from leading research groups in the field of heterogeneous photocatalysis with the aim of providing cutting-edge research on semiconductor materials to be used as photocatalysts, both under artificial and natural solar irradiation, to provide a clear view on the close relationship between the design of a nanostructured material with certain characteristics and its application in a specific photocatalytic process.

Dr. Alessandra Molinari
Dr. Elisa I. García-López
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. Nanomaterials 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 2900 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
  • nanostructured materials
  • partial oxidation
  • photo-assisted heterogeneous catalysis
  • photo-thermocatalysis
  • photo-assisted heterogeneous organic synthesis
  • biomass valorization
  • photo-reforming
  • CO2 photoreduction
  • functionalised photocatalysts

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 10676 KiB  
Article
CdS-Based Hydrothermal Photocatalysts for Complete Reductive Dehalogenation of a Chlorinated Propionic Acid in Water by Visible Light
by Martina Milani, Michele Mazzanti, Claudia Stevanin, Tatiana Chenet, Giuliana Magnacca, Luisa Pasti and Alessandra Molinari
Nanomaterials 2024, 14(7), 579; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nano14070579 - 26 Mar 2024
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Abstract
Cadmium sulfide (CdS)-based photocatalysts are prepared following a hydrothermal procedure (with CdCl2 and thiourea as precursors). The HydroThermal material annealed (CdS-HTa) is crystalline with a band gap of 2.31 eV. Photoelectrochemical investigation indicates a very reducing photo-potential of −0.9 V, which is [...] Read more.
Cadmium sulfide (CdS)-based photocatalysts are prepared following a hydrothermal procedure (with CdCl2 and thiourea as precursors). The HydroThermal material annealed (CdS-HTa) is crystalline with a band gap of 2.31 eV. Photoelectrochemical investigation indicates a very reducing photo-potential of −0.9 V, which is very similar to that of commercial CdS. CdS-HTa, albeit having similar reducing properties, is more active than commercial CdS in the reductive dehalogenation of 2,2-dichloropropionic acid (dalapon) to propionic acid. Spectroscopic, electro-, and photoelectrochemical investigation show that photocatalytic properties of CdS are correlated to its electronic structure. The reductive dehalogenation of dalapon has a double significance: on one hand, it represents a demanding reductive process for a photocatalyst, and on the other hand, it has a peculiar interest in water treatment because dalapon can be considered a representative molecule of persistent organic pollutants and is one of the most important disinfection by products, whose removal from the water is the final obstacle to its complete reuse. HPLC-MS investigation points out that complete disappearance of dalapon passes through 2-monochloropropionic acid and leads to propionic acid as the final product. CdS-HTa requires very mild working conditions (room temperature, atmospheric pressure, natural pH), and it is stable and recyclable without significant loss of activity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanostructured Functional Materials for Photocatalysis)
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13 pages, 2951 KiB  
Article
Efficient Charge Separation and Transport in Fullerene-CuPcOC8 Donor–Acceptor Nanorod Enhancing Photocatalytic Hydrogen Generation
by Zihui Hua, Bo Wu, Yuhe Zhang, Chong Wang, Tianyang Dong, Yupeng Song, Ying Jiang and Chunru Wang
Nanomaterials 2024, 14(3), 256; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nano14030256 - 24 Jan 2024
Viewed by 806
Abstract
Photocatalytic hydrogen generation via water decomposition is a promising avenue in the pursuit of large-scale, cost-effective renewable hydrogen energy generation. However, the design of an efficient photocatalyst plays a crucial role in achieving high yields in hydrogen generation. Herein, we have engineered a [...] Read more.
Photocatalytic hydrogen generation via water decomposition is a promising avenue in the pursuit of large-scale, cost-effective renewable hydrogen energy generation. However, the design of an efficient photocatalyst plays a crucial role in achieving high yields in hydrogen generation. Herein, we have engineered a fullerene-2,3,9,10,16,17,23,24-octa(octyloxy)copper phthalocyanine (C60-CuPcOC8) photocatalyst, achieving both efficient hydrogen generation and high stability. The significant donor–acceptor (D–A) interactions facilitate the efficient electron transfer from CuPcOC8 to C60. The rate of photocatalytic hydrogen generation for C60-CuPcOC8 is 8.32 mmol·g−1·h−1, which is two orders of magnitude higher than the individual C60 and CuPcOC8. The remarkable increase in hydrogen generation activity can be attributed to the development of a robust internal electric field within the C60-CuPcOC8 assembly. It is 16.68 times higher than that of the pure CuPcOC8. The strong internal electric field facilitates the rapid separation within 0.6 ps, enabling photogenerated charge transfer efficiently. Notably, the hydrogen generation efficiency of C60-CuPcOC8 remains above 95%, even after 10 h, showing its exceptional photocatalytic stability. This study provides critical insight into advancing the field of photocatalysis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanostructured Functional Materials for Photocatalysis)
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