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Catalytic Reactions in Hydrogen Energy Production

Physicochemical Fundamentals

  • 1st Edition - November 11, 2025
  • Latest edition
  • Authors: Bolin Li, Zesheng Li
  • Language: English

Catalytic Reactions in Hydrogen Energy Production: Physicochemical Fundamentals elucidates the activation mechanism of molecular chemical bonds, the construction law of catalytic… Read more

Description

Catalytic Reactions in Hydrogen Energy Production: Physicochemical Fundamentals elucidates the activation mechanism of molecular chemical bonds, the construction law of catalytic site orientation and the catalytic mechanism in the catalytic reaction processes involved in hydrogen energy production (including electrocatalysis, photocatalysis and thermocatalysis, summarizing the related hydrogen-producing catalytic theories (hydrogen production by water decomposition, hydrogen production by water vapor transformation, hydrogen production by methane, etc). This is to help develop a series of efficient catalysts, achieve technical breakthroughs in green hydrogen and blue hydrogen production, and innovate the catalytic theory of renewable energy to establish a theoretical database.

The text is divided into four main parts dealing with: electrocatalysis, photocatalysis, thermocatalysis, and finally, hydrogen energy applications, conclusions, and outlook. There are two key aspects of hydrogen industry involved in this book:

  • Precise interface regulation and microscopic mechanism of heterogeneous catalysis hydrogen production systems.
  • Discussion of catalytic materials and theory of efficient hydrogen production and discussion on their application value and practical prospect.
  • The authors also pay special attention to the analysis of the thermodynamic and kinetic theories of catalytic reactions, providing scientific basis for the optimization of reaction conditions and the speculation of reaction mechanism.

    This book is written primarily for graduate students and early researchers in the chemical sciences grounded in inorganic and physical chemistry, coordination chemistry, molecular dynamics, electrochemistry, photocatalysis, thermocatalysis, and thermodynamics. It will also be of interest to those in the adjacent fields of materials science, energy, and environmental studies looking at aspects of hydrogen production

    Key features

    • Reference resource for knowledge on the current development status and specific applications of catalysts and nano-catalysts for hydrogen energy production
    • Focuses on the important but underexplored physicochemical aspects of thermodynamic and kinetic theories of catalytic reactions in the chemical reaction processes involved in hydrogen production
    • Demonstrates the basic principles of electrocatalytic, photocatalytic, and thermocatalytic hydrogen production and the practical application prospects
    • Provides comparison of different technologies including description of mechanistic aspects

    Readership

    Physicochemical focus for students and researchers in chemistry, chemical and/or materials engineering looking at heterogeneous catalysis and focusing on hydrogen production in sustainable energy. It can also be used as a reference book for early researchers and graduate students majoring in: materials science, energy, and environmental studies

    Table of contents

    Part I Hydrogen energy and electrocatalysis

    1: Introduction to hydrogen energy and electrocatalysis

    1.1 Research progress of electrocatalysis

    1.2 Relationship between hydrogen energy and electrocatalysis


    2: Basic principle of hydrogen production by electrolysis of water

    2.1 Basic principle of cathode hydrogen evolution

    2.2 Basic principle of anodic oxygen evolution

    2.3 Basic principle of full water electrolysis


    3: Performance evaluation of hydrogen production by electrolysis of water

    3.1 Thermodynamics and kinetic theory

    3.2 Overpotential principle and test

    3.3 Tafel principle and test

    3.4 Stability principle and test

    3.5 Other principle and test


    4: Catalytic materials for electrolysis of water to hydrogen production

    4.1 Cathode hydrogen evolution catalytic materials

    4.2 Anodic oxygen evolution catalytic material

    4.3 Bifunctional catalytic materials


    5: Design of catalytic materials for electrolysis of water

    5.1 Nanoscale design

    5.2 Composite interface design

    5.3 Doping modification control

    5.4 Vacancy defect engineering

    5.5 Atomic structure design

    5.6 Electronic structure regulation


    6: The coupling design of water electrolysis and other systems

    6.1 Coupling design of electrolytic water and organic matter oxidation

    6.2 Coupling design of electrolytic water and gas reduction

    6.3 Design of solar powered water electrolysis system

    6.4 Design of wind powered water electrolysis system

    6.5 Design of hydraulically driven electrolytic water system


    7: Design of other electrolytic hydrogen production system

    7.1 Hydrogen production by electrolysis of sodium borohydride solution

    7.2 Hydrogen production by electrolysis of ammonia solution

    7.3 Hydrogen production by electrolysis of seawater


    8: Results and prospects of hydrogen energy and electrocatalysis

    8.1 Hydrogen energy and electrocatalysis results

    8.2 Hydrogen energy and prospects for electrocatalysis

    Part II Hydrogen energy and photocatalysis

    9: Introduction of hydrogen energy and photocatalysis

    9.1 Research progress of photocatalysis

    9.2 Relationship between hydrogen energy and photocatalysis


    10: The basic principle of photocatalysis

    10.1 Basic principles of photocatalysis

    10.2 Basic principle of hydrogen production by photocatalytic splitting of water

    10.3 Basic principle of photocatalytic total decomposition of water


    11: Performance evaluation of hydrogen production by photolysis of water

    11.1 Thermodynamics and kinetic theory

    11.2 Principle and evaluation of co-catalysts

    11.3 Simulated solar catalytic hydrogen production system and test

    11.4 Stability principle and test of photocatalytic hydrogen

    11.5 Other principle and test


    12: Catalytic materials for photocatalysis

    12.1 Visible light response catalytic materials

    12.2 Infrared light responsive catalytic materials

    12.3 Co-catalyst materials for hydrogen and oxygen evolution


    13: Design of catalytic materials for photocatalysis of water splitting

    13.1 Nanoscale design

    13.2 Heterogeneous structure design

    13.3 Doping modification control

    13.4 Vacancy defect engineering

    13.5 Atomic structure design

    13.6 Electronic structure regulation


    14: Results and prospects of hydrogen energy and photocatalysis

    14.1 Hydrogen energy and photocatalysis results

    14.2 Hydrogen energy and prospects for photocatalysis

    Part III Hydrogen energy and thermocatalysis thermocatalysis

    15: Introduction of hydrogen energy and thermocatalysis

    5.1 Research progress of thermocatalysis

    5.2 Relationship between hydrogen energy and thermocatalysis


    16: Principle and catalyst of hydrogen production by water gas shift

    16.1 Basic principle of hydrogen production by water gas shift

    16.2 Catalyst for water-gas-shift reaction

    16.3 Regulation and optimization of water-gas-shift reaction


    17: Principle and catalyst of methane reforming hydrogen production

    17.1 Basic principle of methane reforming hydrogen production

    17.2 Catalyst for methane reforming reaction

    17.3 Regulation optimization of methane reforming reaction


    18: Principle and catalyst of methanol reforming hydrogen production

    18.1 Basic principle of hydrogen by methanol reforming

    18.2 Catalyst for methanol reforming reaction

    18.3 Regulation optimization of methanol reforming reaction


    19: Results and prospects of hydrogen energy and thermocatalysis

    19.1 Hydrogen energy and thermocatalysis results

    19.2 Prospects for hydrogen energy and thermocatalysis

    Part IV Life cycle assessments and Practical application Aspects

    20: Life cycle assessment of Hydrogen Energy Technology

    20.1 Conceptual framework of Life cycle assessment

    20.2 Life cycle assessment for Hydrogen Production


    21: Practical industrial technologies of hydrogen Production

    21.1 Membrane technologies for Hydrogen Energy Production

    21.2 Coal gasification technologies for Hydrogen Energy Production

    21.3 Other technologies for Hydrogen Energy Production


    22: Practical industrial application of Hydrogen energy

    22.1 Hydrogen energy for fuel-cell applications

    22.2 Hydrogen energy for petrochemical industry

    22.3 Hydrogen energy for medical and health care

    Part V conclusions and outlooks

    23: Conclusions and outlooks of this book

    22.1 The conclusions

    22.2 The outlooks

    Product details

    • Edition: 1
    • Latest edition
    • Published: November 12, 2025
    • Language: English

    About the authors

    BL

    Bolin Li

    Bolin Li received her Ph.D. degree in 2021 from Guangxi University, PR China. She is now a Lecturer in The Department of Energy and Chemical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering, Guangdong University of Petrochemical Technology, PR China. Her research interests include the synthesis and characterization of nanomaterials as electrocatalysis for electrochemical energy conversion (water splitting for H2 production).
    Affiliations and expertise
    Lecturer, College of Chemistry Engineering, Guangdong University of Petrochemical Technology, P.R. China

    ZL

    Zesheng Li

    Zesheng Li has been engaged in the scientific research of electrochemical energy materials and environmental catalytic materials (fuel cell electrocatalytic materials, electrochemical energy storage electrode materials, solar photocatalytic materials). He has accumulated some research experience in the design, synthesis, and functional regulation of nano materials (including SACs) and achieved interesting research results. In the past eight years, as the first author, corresponding author and second author, he has been published in important international academic journal of materials, chemistry, and chemical engineering: Adv. Mater., Chem. Commun., J. Mater. Chem. A, ACS Appl. Mater. Inter., J. Power Sources, Int. J. Hydrogen Energy, Electrochim. Acta, Chem. Eng. J. and other journals published 42 SCI research papers (26 first authors). There are 23 papers in JCR zone 1, 8 papers in JCR zone 2 and 11 papers in JCR zone 3 of the Chinese Academy of Sciences; 1 if ≥ 15, 10 if ≥ 6, 25 If ≥ 3; SCI papers have been cited for more than 2000 times, and the h index is currently 19 (19 papers have been cited for more than 19 times), the highest single article cited for more than 380 times (Adv. mater., 2013, 25, 2474-2480), the second highest for more than 120 times (J. mater. Chem., 2010, 20, 3883-3889), and the third highest for more than 80 times (Chem. Eng. J., 2014, 241, 344-351). Two papers (Chem. Eng. J., 2014, 241, 344-351; Chem. Eng. J., 2017, 313, 1242-1250) have been cited by ESI (1%).
    Affiliations and expertise
    College of Chemistry, Guangdong University of Petrochemical Technology, P.R. China

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