This Research Topic focuses on the design and tailoring of novel materials based on porous frameworks for sustainable catalysis. Emphasis will be put on the application of such catalysts in the development of green technologies and processes for alternative renewable energies, production of clean fossil fuels, and more efficient use of natural resources.
Porous materials have shown remarkable versatility in the field of catalysis, ranging from oxidative to electro- or photocatalysis, as a result of their high internal area, fast mass diffusion, and simplicity of fine-tuning the surface chemistry.

The heterogenization of catalytic active species is highly desirable as it allows for the recovery and recyclability of catalysts. Porous materials, such as metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), mesoporous silicas, zeolites, or carbon materials, are exceptional candidates to accommodate homogeneous catalytic species owing to their chemical and thermal stability while enabling accessibility to reactants. Moreover, porous frameworks are increasingly applied as catalysts themselves. Recent advances in structural characterization techniques have led to so-called defect engineering through modulated synthesis. The possibility to tune the porosity and chemical composition of such materials allows the creation of catalytic active sites and the development of specific functionalities on otherwise inactive materials.

The Research Topic welcomes contributions dealing with the development of novel catalysts based on porous frameworks with appealing catalytic properties for sustainable processes. Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

- preparation of heterogeneous catalysts through the incorporation of guest species on porous frameworks;
- design of surface-engineered porous materials for the enhancement of the catalytic performance;
- development of novel catalytic systems for the production of clean fossil fuels;
- green processes for the production of energy, such as the catalytic valorization of biomass;
- efficient catalytic strategies towards the reduction of carbon dioxide, namely hydrogenation of CO₂ or conversion of CO₂ into alcohols
- development of promising materials for alternative energy sources, including electro- or photocatalytic production of hydrogen

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Frontiers in Chemistry

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