Guest Editor(s)
Prof. Qing Shu
Email: shuqing@jxust.edu.cn
Affiliation: School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Ganzhou, China
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Research Interests: photocatalysis for pollutant degradation, adsorption for pollutant removal, hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), biodiesel
Prof. Dr. Kai Yang
Email: yangkai@jxust.edu.cn
Affiliation: School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Ganzhou, China
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Research Interests: photocatalysis for CO2 reduction, hydrogen evolution reaction, synthesis of hydrogen peroxide
Dr. Cheng Lili
Email: chenglili2000@163.com
Affiliation: School of Metallurgical Engineering, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Ganzhou, China
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Research Interests: flotation electrochemistry and potential-controlled flotation technology, separation process of complex polymetallic sulfide ores, fine particle flotation recovery technology, treatment and environmental management of sulfide ore tailings
Summary
Chalcogenides are a distinctive class of functional materials consisting of sulfur, selenium, tellurium, and their derivative compounds. Benefiting from their unique electronic configurations, tunable bandgap structures, and superior catalytic performance, chalcogenides have garnered widespread research interest across environmental remediation, energy conversion, and renewable fuel synthesis. Faced with escalating global issues including water pollution, energy shortage, and the pressing demand for carbon-neutral technologies, chalcogenide-based catalysts have emerged as viable candidates for sustainable development. These materials enable efficient pollutant abatement and energy conversion via multiple advanced pathways, including advanced oxidation processes, photocatalytic degradation of organic contaminants, heavy metal ion removal, and core energy reactions such as hydrogen evolution, oxygen evolution, and carbon dioxide reduction. Furthermore, chalcogenides have demonstrated promising application potential in biodiesel production, covering triglyceride transesterification, free fatty acid esterification, and hydrodeoxygenation of biomass-derived feedstocks, which further verifies their excellent versatility in advancing sustainable fuel technologies.
Conventional catalytic materials are inherently constrained by several drawbacks, including narrow light-response spectral range, low photogenerated charge separation efficiency, inferior stability under harsh reaction conditions, and limited catalytic activity in biofuel conversion reactions. In comparison, chalcogenides possess superior physicochemical properties, and their catalytic performance can be further optimized via multiple modification strategies, such as heterojunction fabrication, defect engineering, elemental doping, and morphological regulation. These targeted modifications effectively enhance the catalytic activity and structural durability of chalcogenide catalysts, and facilitate the rational construction of multifunctional catalytic systems that integrate water purification, energy generation, and biofuel synthesis. Nevertheless, several critical challenges still hinder the practical deployment of chalcogenide-based catalysts, including insufficient long-term operational stability, barriers in large-scale controllable synthesis, incomplete understanding of catalytic mechanisms, and limited practical applicability in real-world environmental treatment, energy conversion, and biofuel production systems.
Therefore, this special issue aims to comprehensively present the latest research advances in chalcogenide-based catalysis for water treatment, sustainable energy utilization, and biodiesel production. The scope of this special issue covers, but is not limited to, the following research topics:
· Photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants using chalcogenide-based materials
· Chalcogenide catalysts for heavy metal ion removal and detoxification
· Heterojunction and Z-scheme chalcogenide systems for enhanced charge separation
· Defect engineering and doping strategies for improved catalytic performance
· Chalcogenide-based electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER)
· Chalcogenide catalysts for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and overall water splitting
· Photocatalytic and electrocatalytic CO₂ reduction to value-added fuels
· Stability, recyclability, and durability studies of chalcogenide catalysts
· Scalable synthesis and green fabrication methods for chalcogenide nanomaterials
· Mechanistic insights via advanced characterization and computational modeling
· Chalcogenide-based composite and hybrid materials for multifunctional catalysis
· Pilot-scale and real-world applications of chalcogenide catalysts in water treatment and energy systems
· Chalcogenide catalysts for transesterification and esterification in biodiesel production
· Hydrodeoxygenation of bio-oil and fatty acid derivatives over chalcogenide-based catalysts
· Sulfur-tolerant chalcogenide catalysts for renewable diesel and green fuel synthesis
· Integration of chalcogenide catalysis with biorefinery processes for sustainable fuel cycles
Keywords
chalcogenides, photocatalysis, water treatment, energy conversion, hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), biodiesel production, heterojunction, defect engineering, CO₂ reduction, sustainable catalysis
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