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Open research questions in Catalytic Processes in Materials Science

145 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 2,113 Catalytic Processes in Materials Science papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.

What the literature leaves open

  • Predicting ammonia combustion accurately remains challenging, - Only a limited number of studies have delved into the reaction mechanisms of pure NH3 and air, - The uncertainty in the rate constant values for the reaction pathway from NH2 to N2H2 affects the accuracy of models

    Development of Ammonia Combustion Technology for NOx Reduction · 2025 · DOI

  • The slow reaction rate and high NOx emissions of ammonia remain challenging issues. The lack of understanding of the ammonia oxidation process and kinetic mechanisms hinders the development of ammonia combustion technology.

    Development of Ammonia Combustion Technology for NOx Reduction · 2025 · DOI

  • Investigating the long-term stability of the SiCeOx/TiO2 catalyst, - Examining the effect of other potential deactivating species on the catalysts, - Exploring the application of the SiCeOx/TiO2 catalyst in different reaction conditions and temperatures

    Environmental Catalysis for NOx Reduction by Manipulating the Dynamic Coordination Environment of Active Sites · 2025 · DOI

  • The gap in current catalysts is their inability to withstand SO2 poisoning, leading to a decrease in NOx removal efficiency. The paper identifies the need for a SO2-tolerant catalyst that can maintain high NO removal efficiency in the presence of SO2. The current catalysts are not suitable for non-electric industries due to their low-temperature flue gas.

    Environmental Catalysis for NOx Reduction by Manipulating the Dynamic Coordination Environment of Active Sites · 2025 · DOI

  • The paper identifies the high auto-ignition temperature of ammonia as a challenge for its use as a fuel in spark-ignition engines. It also notes the potential emissions of NOx and unburned ammonia as a challenge. The study references the need for innovative solutions, such as the application of combustion promoters, to enhance ammonia combustibility.

    A Review of Ammonia Combustion and Emissions Characteristics in Spark-Ignition Engines and Future Road Map · 2024 · DOI

  • Investigating the effect of combustion promoters to enhance NH3 combustibility. Examining the compatibility of NH3 as a fuel for spark-ignition (SI) engines in various modes. Understanding NH3's combustion behavior requires a closer examination of flame propagation in pure NH3/air mixtures.

    A Review of Ammonia Combustion and Emissions Characteristics in Spark-Ignition Engines and Future Road Map · 2024 · DOI

  • Abstract Au alloying tunes Pd coordination to enhance selectivity for direct synthesis of H 2 O 2 (DSHP), but the structure–activity relationship remains unclear.

    Au‐coverage‐dependent coordination engineering of PdAu catalysts for ambient direct synthesis of H 2 O 2 in pure water · 2026 · DOI

  • However, the actual contribution of Co 2+ –O during VOC removal has long been overlooked and remains unclear, which seriously hinders the further targeted design and application of the Co 3 O 4 catalyst.

    Modulating Co Species Charge Distribution in Co 3 O 4 for Boosted Low-Temperature Complete Oxidation of VOCs: Surface Co 2+ –O Sites Induced Reactant Adsorption and Activation · 2026 · DOI

  • Promoting the reactivity of surface lattice oxygen atoms of oxide nanomaterials is critical for enhancing their catalytic performances in oxidation, hydrogenation, and electrocatalytic reactions; however, the fundamental electronic mechanisms governing this surface reactivity have long remained insufficiently understood.

    Nanoscale Grain Boundary-Weakened Ce–O Covalency and Surface Confinement Intrinsically Boosting Ceria Surface Oxygen Reactivity · 2025 · DOI

  • Although metal hydrosuperoxos and metal hydroperoxos are considered to be key intermediates in ORR, these two species as well as their reaction natures are poorly understood because they are highly active with various reaction pathways.

    Mechanistic Studies of Catalytic O2-to-H2O2 Conversion at a Single Cobalt Site · 2025 · DOI

  • Notably, a previously underexplored carboxylate-mediated pathway, facilitated on the surface-substituted Cu + structure, is identified as the dominant route, featuring a significantly lower apparent activation energy (20–30 kJ/mol) compared to the classical formate pathway.

    Flame-Made Surface-Substituted Copper–Ceria as an Excellent Reverse Water–Gas Shift Reaction Catalyst via Three Reaction Pathways · 2025 · DOI

  • However, the mass diffusion is yet substantially limited by the confined surface of the support in comparison to homogeneous catalysis.

    Soft nanoforest of metal single atoms for free diffusion catalysis · 2025 · DOI

  • Despite the rapid progress in this field, the intricate relationship between local atomic environments and the catalytic behavior of dual-metal active sites remains insufficiently understood.

    Engineering Local Coordination and Electronic Structures of Dual-Atom Catalysts · 2025 · DOI

  • To the best of our knowledge, size-dependent catalytic research under the same metal loadings has rarely been reported.

    Reexploring Size-Dependent Catalytic Performance under Same Metal Loadings and Identifying Real Active Species: From Single Atom, Cluster to Nanoparticle · 2025 · DOI

  • However, their high-temperature chemical behavior remains insufficiently understood, posing challenges for the development and optimization of advanced combustion technologies.

    Exploring the potential of ammonia as a fuel: Advances in combustion understanding and large-scale furnace applications · 2025 · DOI

  • However, its efficiency is limited by a slow 6‐electron transfer process, necessitating advanced electrocatalysts to accelerate the urea oxidation reaction (UOR) and moderate overpotential, thereby cutting energy losses.

    Cutting‐Edge Optimization Strategies and In Situ Characterization Techniques for Urea Oxidation Reaction Catalysts: A Comprehensive Review · 2025 · DOI

  • However, their long-term application is often limited by the trade-off between catalytic efficiency and durability.

    Monolithic Ceramic CoTiO 3 /TiO 2 Membrane Balancing Catalytic Efficiency and Durability in Advanced Oxidation Processes · 2025 · DOI

  • The superior performance could be validated through the catalytic oxidation of aromatics and alkenes represented by benzene and 1,3-butadiene, respectively.

    Tailoring Dual High-Valence Cu–O–Mn Active Sites to Enhance VOC Catalytic Oxidation · 2025 · DOI

  • However, the dynamic evolution of active sites and the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in MnO 2 catalysts, particularly under room-temperature conditions, still remain poorly understood.

    Dynamic Evolution of Mn–O Site and ROS Formation in Room-Temperature Formaldehyde Oxidation over Phase-Dependent MnO 2 · 2025 · DOI

  • However, the role of Ag n 0 over Ag/MnO x catalysts during the O 3 decomposition remains unclear.

    Role of Metallic Ag over Ag/MnO2 Catalysts for Ozone Decomposition under Humid Conditions · 2025 · DOI

  • While previous studies have explored individual influencing factors, such as the central metal species and coordination environment, reaction conditions, or contaminant molecular properties, the combined effects of these variables on AOP kinetics and thermodynamics remain poorly understood.

    Machine Learning-Driven Global Optimization of Single-Atom Catalyst-Mediated Advanced Oxidation Processes · 2025 · DOI

  • The poisoning mechanism of SO 2 on the active sites of catalysts has been well acknowledged, yet the role of support in sulfur-tolerant catalysis remains elusive.

    In Situ-Formed Tridentate Pd–SO x Coordination for Sulfur-Tolerant CO Oxidation Catalysis · 2025 · DOI

  • An in-depth, systematic exploration of the precise role of oxygen vacancies in catalytic reactions has long been limited by the lack of controllable regulation strategies for defect engineering.

    Furfural Hydroconversion over Defective Pd/CeO2 Catalysts: More Oxygen Vacancies, Better Catalysis? · 2025 · DOI

  • High-entropy spinel oxides (HESOs) have emerged as promising catalysts due to their multimetal interactions, compositional flexibility, and superior structural stability; however, the roles of each metal in catalytic reactions remain elusive.

    Metal- and Site-Specific Roles of High-Entropy Spinel Oxides in Catalytic Oxidative Polymerization of Water Contaminants · 2025 · DOI

  • However, the dynamic structure evolution during real reaction conditions and their impact on the selectivity are still poorly understood.

    Dynamic Interplay between Particle Size and Strong Metal Support Interaction in Rh/TiO2 Tuning the Selectivity of CO2 Hydrogenation · 2025 · DOI

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145 open questions have been extracted from the limitations and future-work passages of 2,113 Catalytic Processes in Materials Science papers in our 4.5M-paper local library. Each one below links back to the study that raised it, so you can read the original claim in context.

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