Introduction to (Photo)electrocatalysis for Renewable Energy

Humanity is facing a significant and growing energy demand, necessitating a new energy paradigm built on clean and abundant renewable energy.1 Within this context, electrocatalysis and photoelectrocatalysis hold great promise for enabling renewable energies such as solar and wind power to overcome the transient nature of their energy output.2–6 Developing catalysts that operate efficiently and selectively, and that are also robust, has been the focus of much research. This themed issue brings together the latest advances in the fundamental and applied science addressing the synthesis, characterization, mechanisms, and performance of (photo)electrocatalysts for energy storage and conversion of small molecules into useful specialty and commodity chemicals and fuels. The electrocatalysts and photoelectrocatalysts highlighted in this issue include metalloenzymes, homogeneous and supported molecular catalysts, and diverse heterogeneous nanoparticulate and thin film systems. The reports span across basic and applied studies and encompass both experimental and theoretical investigations.