Editorial: Nanocatalysis

Abstract

Catalysis by metal and metal oxide nano-sized (and smaller, sub-nanometer) structures such as clusters and nanoparticles represents a consolidated field in chemistry. Shaping metals into the (sub)nano regime allows one to modulate both quantitatively (surface-to-volume ratio) and qualitatively (types of facets and surface atom coordination) the catalytically active regions with respect to extended systems. This increased freedom has been widely exploited in the past to improve/maximize the efficiency and selectivity of many catalytic processes of fundamental interest and industrial relevance. Major challenges however exist in the field, which are not yet fully addressed. The transition from carbon-based to green energy production, storage, and use and the environmental implications in fact requires the development of efficient and selective catalytic processes at lower temperature and less extreme conditions than those currently known e.g. in the conversion of petroleum and biomass, electrochemical and/or photochemical water splitting and fuel cells, CO_2 reduction to fuels, NH_3 synthesis etc.