The second volume of the Defect Chemistry in Electrocatalysis series continues to explore the vital role of defect engineering in advancing electrocatalytic technologies (). Electrocatalysis is essential to the operation of devices used for electrochemical energy storage and conversion. Because the efficiency of these systems is heavily dependent on the kinetics of electrochemical reactions, developing high-performance electrocatalysts to accelerate these processes is crucial (). Since these reactions primarily take place at the catalyst surface, the surface electronic structure significantly influences the catalytic activity (). Defect engineering—through the intentional introduction of vacancies, dopants, or structural modifications—has emerged as a powerful strategy to tune catalyst behavior. By manipulating defects, researchers can enhance active site accessibility, modulate electronic structures, and improve reaction kinetics, ultimately boosting catalytic efficiency and selectivity (; ; ). In recent years, this area has witnessed rapid progress, with a surge of new research efforts emerging in response to the foundational studies presented in the previous Research Topic.
This Research Topic features recent advances that deepen our understanding of defect chemistry. Maseko et al. reveal that potassium and manganese co-promoters significantly enhance olefin selectivity in CoFe-ZSM-5 zeolites for CO2 hydrogenation, demonstrating the effectiveness of targeted metal modification in zeolite catalysts. Zhang et al. develop a nitrogen and boron dual-doped porous defect-rich carbon catalyst derived from saccharina japonica, achieving enhanced oxygen reduction activity. Their combined computational and experimental approach highlights the potential of biomass-based materials in sustainable electrocatalysis. Linling et al. review strategies for NO electroreduction to NH3, emphasizing the role of vacancy and doping defects in improving activity. Their work presents defect engineering as a viable strategy to achieve efficient electrocatalytic ammonia synthesis replacing the energy-intensive Haber-Bosch process. Chen et al. focus on the electrooxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, outlining how engineered anionic and cationic vacancies can accelerate reaction kinetics and improve catalyst performance for biomass valorization.
As guest editors, we extend our sincere gratitude to all the authors for their outstanding contributions, and to the reviewers for their insightful and constructive feedback. These contributions underscore the transformative impact of defect chemistry on electrocatalyst design. By elucidating the structure–performance relationship, this Research Topic advances the development of next-generation catalysts with greater efficiency, selectivity, and durability. Continued exploration in this field holds promise for breakthroughs in clean energy and environmental sustainability.
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Author contributions
DY: Writing – original draft. LW: Formal Analysis, Writing – review and editing. FZ: Writing – original draft. HH: Writing – review and editing.
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Summary
Keywords
defect, electrocataiysis, energy storage and conversion, electrocatalysts, defect engineering
Citation
Yan D, Wang L, Zeng F and Huang H (2025) Editorial: Defect chemistry in electrocatalysis - volume II. Front. Chem. 13:1613443. doi: 10.3389/fchem.2025.1613443
Received
17 April 2025
Accepted
17 April 2025
Published
25 April 2025
Volume
13 - 2025
Edited and reviewed by
Nosang Vincent Myung, University of Notre Dame, United States
Updates
Copyright
© 2025 Yan, Wang, Zeng and Huang.
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*Correspondence: Dafeng Yan, dafengyan@hnu.edu.cn; Longlu Wang, wanglonglu@njupt.edu.cn; Feng Zeng, zeng@njtech.edu.cn; Huawei Huang, huawei.huang@kaust.edu.sa
Disclaimer
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.