Although electrochemistry is a well-established field, with roots dating back to the 1790s, it has become an integral part of both fundamental and applied research in chemistry, physics, materials science, and industrial innovation. Modern applications of electrochemistry include electrocatalysis for sustainable development, such as water splitting for hydrogen production, CO2 reduction to carbonaceous fuels, and N2 or NOx reduction to ammonia. Electrocatalytic and electrochemical processes are also being explored for the removal of microplastics and organic and inorganic contaminants from wastewater. Moreover, significant progress has been made in the development of fuel cells and Li-ion and/or various metal batteries.

This book highlights recent developments of electrocatalytic materials for diverse electrochemical studies. It introduces diverse classes of materials discovered in the past few decades for electrode design. The nine chapters outline key aspects of electrocatalyst development, including synthetic and commonly used microscopic and spectroscopic characterization techniques for probing surface and bulk properties. The inclusion of up-to-date literature helps readers stay current with recent advances in materials science and electrocatalysis. The book serves as a useful reference for early-stage researchers and master’s students in materials chemistry, catalysis, and electrochemical energy conversion, and also supports early-career educators in developing modern course materials.

Biswarup Chakraborty has been an associate professor at the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, India, since 2020, where he teaches inorganic chemistry and conducts research on photo(electro) catalysis. He obtained his PhD in chemistry in 2014 from the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Kolkata, India. In 2015, he moved to Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel, and spent three and a half years as a postdoctoral associate. He subsequently joined the Technical University of Berlin, Germany, as a postdoctoral fellow, where he worked for just over a year.

Sagarika Bhattacharya is an assistant professor of chemistry at the National Institute of Technology Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India. She obtained her PhD in chemistry from the University of Calcutta in 2015. She subsequently carried out three and a half years of postdoctoral research at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel. Her research group focuses on the photophysical, catalytic, and biological applications of carbon quantum dots, as well as various multinuclear lanthanide molecular clusters.