Redox Reactions Catalyzed by Metal Oxide Nanocatalysts

Abstract

Metal oxide nanocatalysts (MeONCs) have been identified as high-performance catalysts in terms of speeding up redox reactions because of their high surface area, easily tunable electronic properties, and the capacity to achieve a variety of oxidation states. All these peculiar characteristics positioned them as a probable material for various applications. That is, degradation of organic pollutants, photoelectrocatalytic water splitting, CO 2 conversion to fuels, and energy storage. And as such, provide a practical and renewable solution to the urgent environmental and energy problems. Moreover, it is possible to improve the catalytic properties of these materials through controlled synthesis, to achieve better crystallinity, morphology, and defect density and thus activity, selectivity, and durability. This chapter is poised to provide a close review of synthesis, mechanistic routes of action and use of MeONCs in redox reaction processes and the strategies employed to improve their performance, refining their conductivity, stability, and environmentally friendly synthesis pathways that, eventually, may lead to the application in scalable, next-generation catalytic systems.