Abstract: The demand for a sustainable development of our society requires a fundamental turn in the current approach to energy production and use, which requires developing new concepts and technologies for catalysis in energy chemistry and environmental protection. Realize this challenge requires new materials, new technologies and new processes that can bring about a revolutionary change in our daily life. The title of this special JEC issue remarks that we need to operate at the nano-scale and introduce new concepts in materials design to change from an evolutionary to a revolutionary change in this area. For this reason, we indicated “Nanoconcepts in Energy Chemistry and Catalysis”, to remark the idea of the need to manipulate the fundamental steps in energy conversion and storage and in catalysis at the level of nanostructured materials and their composite.
This issue collects 22 contributions, including one highlight, four reviews, one communication and 16 full papers covering all the important applications of nanoconcepts in energy chemistry and catalysis. All the papers were written by international leading experts and specialists in the field of energy chemistry and catalysis including electrocatalysis for oxygen reduction reaction, electrode design for battery, nanocatalysts for Fisher-Tropsch synthesis, photocatalyst for hydrogen production, and materials for CO₂ capture.
The first paper highlighted the recent work of Bao's group on the direct, non-oxidative conversion of methane to ethylene, aromatics, and hydrogen, an excellent example how nanoconcepts in catalysis can lead to breakthrough in the use of natural gas. The following four reviews, written by international well-known experts in the field, address the application of nanomaterials and ionic liquid in energy conversion and catalysis. These reviews provide a unique opportunity for the readers to be updated on the latest developments and new opportunities offered by using the advanced nanoconcepts discussed in these reviews.
Finally, one communication and 16 full articles report the newest results using nanostructured and materials in a various applications from oxygen reduction reaction, water splitting, hydrogen peroxide production, CO₂ capture, as electrode materials and some other energy- and catalysis-related process.
We believe that this special issue dedicated to the use of nanoconcepts in energy chemistry represents a unique opportunity for young and experienced researches in the field of sustainable energy to have an updated view on this exciting topic that we are convinced is an enabling factor for the future of our society. We thus invite all to have this special issue as a privileged component of your bookshelf.