About this Research Topic
Generally, metallic platinum (Pt) catalysts with a very high activity，selectivity and stability play an important role in the synthesis of fine chemicals and energy transformations. However, the dependence on expensive Pt-based catalysts remains a major obstacle for widespread applications. One solution to overcome this predicament is to reduce the Pt content by replacing the Pt-based catalysts with non-precious metal catalysts. Today, this trend continues despite the fact that non-precious metals are advantageous to their precious counterparts from many practical perspectives (cost, abundance, sustainability).
Non-precious metal catalysts, such as sulfides, carbides, silicides, nitrides, phosphides, with special geometric and electronic structure, present significantly different physical and chemical properties compared with their component metals, which have resurfaced in recent years to provide alternatives to Pt-based precious metals for applications including hydrogenations, oxidations, cross-coupling and electrocatalysis. Despite these advances, the industry has been slow to replace contemporary Pt-based precious metal catalysts for organic synthesis and energy conversions. This limited uptake of non-precious metal catalysis may be due to integrated factors, including bottleneck of large-scale and batch production, less-elucidated mechanistic pathways, and poor long-stream stability. The purpose of this research topic is to develop and study Pt-like non-precious metals catalysts for the synthesis of fine chemicals and energy transformations.
This Research Topic is focused on the development of non-precious metals catalysts. The Topic Editors welcome submissions of Original Research, Review, Mini Review and Perspective articles that address, but are not limited to, the following themes:
• Synthesis and characterization of extended surfaces and nanostructures of Pt-like non-precious metal catalysts
• Fundamental studies related to strategies for replacing Pt-based catalysts and enhancing activity, selectivity or durability
• New developments on the catalytic mechanism of Pt-like non-precious metal catalysts
• Pt-like non-precious metal catalysts for the synthesis of fine chemicals and energy transformations and other innovative applications
Non-precious metal catalysts, such as sulfides, carbides, silicides, nitrides, phosphides, with special geometric and electronic structure, present significantly different physical and chemical properties compared with their component metals, which have resurfaced in recent years to provide alternatives to Pt-based precious metals for applications including hydrogenations, oxidations, cross-coupling and electrocatalysis. Despite these advances, the industry has been slow to replace contemporary Pt-based precious metal catalysts for organic synthesis and energy conversions. This limited uptake of non-precious metal catalysis may be due to integrated factors, including bottleneck of large-scale and batch production, less-elucidated mechanistic pathways, and poor long-stream stability. The purpose of this research topic is to develop and study Pt-like non-precious metals catalysts for the synthesis of fine chemicals and energy transformations.
This Research Topic is focused on the development of non-precious metals catalysts. The Topic Editors welcome submissions of Original Research, Review, Mini Review and Perspective articles that address, but are not limited to, the following themes:
• Synthesis and characterization of extended surfaces and nanostructures of Pt-like non-precious metal catalysts
• Fundamental studies related to strategies for replacing Pt-based catalysts and enhancing activity, selectivity or durability
• New developments on the catalytic mechanism of Pt-like non-precious metal catalysts
• Pt-like non-precious metal catalysts for the synthesis of fine chemicals and energy transformations and other innovative applications
Keywords: Non-precious metal catalyst, Catalyst design, Reaction kinetics, Catalytic mechanism, Structure activity relationship
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
