Abstract
Electrochemical technology has been proposed as an alternative or complementary method to classical inorganic synthesis for the fabrication of effective metallic solid catalysts. Microemulsion-based electrodeposition is a novel, fast, and one-step procedure to obtain mesoporous catalysts with extraordinarily effective areas, which can be used in heterogeneous catalysis for degradation of pollutants and clean energy production. The fabrication process involves conducting microemulsions containing ionic species (dissolved in aqueous solutions) as precursors of the metallic catalysts. The presence of nanometric droplets of organic or ionic-liquid components in the microemulsion defines the mesoporosity of the catalysts during a one-step electrodeposition process. This method also allows the fabrication of metal catalysts as supported mesoporous films or mesoporous nanowires with very high effective areas. Additionally, reactants have excellent accessibility to the overall surface of the catalysts. The different catalysts fabricated with the help of this technology have been tested for competitive degradation of organic pollutants and anodes' materials for fuel cell devices.
Highlights
The synthesis and design of mesoporous materials is one of the hottest topics being researched in the fields of materials science and heterogeneous catalysis, as they extend the horizon for developing advanced technology to meet the most relevant global challenges to people, the planet and, prosperity [1,2,3,4]
We have presented the potential of the defined electrochemical strategies to fabricate mesoporous metal and alloy structures that are useful as effective heterogeneous catalysts for reactions involved in clean energy production or degradation of organic pollutants in water remediation
Electrochemical fabrication is a competitive approach for producing mesoporous metal or oxides catalysts because by means of a one-step procedure, it is possible to directly transform the precursors in a solution to a solid catalyst, through electrodeposition process
Summary
The synthesis and design of mesoporous materials is one of the hottest topics being researched in the fields of materials science and heterogeneous catalysis, as they extend the horizon for developing advanced technology to meet the most relevant global challenges (e.g., energy sources, water decontamination, and others) to people, the planet and, prosperity [1,2,3,4]. According to the definition of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC), mesoporous materials are nanoporous materials, ordered or disordered, with pores of diameters ranging from 2 to 50 nm [5,6] Their potential to eliminate or at least dramatically curb pollution from industrial, chemical, and biological processes, especially for ordered mesoporous materials, is understood based on the enlarged surface area, large pore volumes, relatively low density, chemical functionalities, and permeability properties, among others [7,8,9]. An overview of microemulsion-assisted electrochemical fabrication, progress, and perspectives are extensively reviewed It analyses the potential as well as perspectives of the electrochemical growth of metallic mesoporous materials for heterogeneous catalysis and covers the recent developments in this area. The challenges to and perspectives on the anticipated developments surrounding the electrochemical synthesis of mesoporous structures and their potential in catalysis are provided
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