Sustainable Carbon as Efficient Support for Metal-Based Nanocatalyst: Applications in Energy Harvesting and Storage

Abstract

<jats:p>Sustainable activated carbon can be obtained from the pyrolysis/activation of biomass wastes coming from different origins. Carbon obtained in this way shows interesting properties, such as high surface area, electrical conductivity, thermal and chemical stability, and porosity. These characteristics among others, such as a tailored pore size distribution and the possibility of functionalization, lead to an increased use of activated carbons in catalysis. The use of activated carbons from biomass origins is a step forward in the development of more sustainable processes enhancing material recycling and reuse in the frame of a circular economy. In this article, a perspective of different heterogeneous catalysts based on sustainable activated carbon from biomass origins will be analyzed focusing on their properties and catalytic performance for determined energy-related applications. In this way, the article aims to give the reader a scope of the potential of these tailor-made sustainable materials as a support in heterogeneous catalysis and future developments needed to improve catalyst performance. The selected applications are those related with H2 energy and the production of biomethane for energy through CO2 methanation.</jats:p>

Recent advances in the valorization of plant biomass

“…Bio-char has received more attention in recent years, and several reviews have summarized its production [ 101 , 154 – 157 ]. Bio-char presents porous structure, abundant functional groups, high surface area, which includes minerals and trace metals [ 158 ], so it shows a wide range of applications, including adsorption (chemical substances [ 159 , 160 ], dye [ 161 , 162 ], and heavy metals [ 17 , 163 , 164 ]), catalysis [ 165 – 168 ], soil repair [ 163 , 169 ], and use as building materials [ 170 ], electrochemical energy storage [ 171 – 173 ], etc. During the process of bio-oil or bio-char production, syngas containing hydrogen, carbon monoxide, methane, etc.…”

CO Removal from Hydrogen Stream through Methanation on Ru/C Catalysts Doped with Lanthanum and Barium

“…It is commonly known that graphite and graphene exhibit great electron conductivity [77,78]. Nitrogen-doped graphene tubes were successfully applied as the supports for a Cr-Ni 3 FeN active phase by Zhou [79].…”

Effects of Support Types and Their Porosity Characteristics on the Catalytic Performance of Ni-Based Catalysts in Nitrobenzene Hydrogenation to Aniline

“…It is well-known that porous carbon materials have been widely used as catalyst supports in the preparation of metal catalysts for catalytic hydrogenation. Carbon supports selected for loading nanosized metal particles have the advantages of large specific surface area, adjustable pore structure, modifiable surface properties, good acid and alkali corrosion resistance, and relatively low cost (e.g., activated carbon) compared with traditional oxide supports such as SiO 2 and Al 2 O 3 − and thus possess a large space for the upgrading and optimization of catalytic performance. The pores in porous carbon materials are divided into micropores (<2 nm), mesopores (2–50 nm), and macropores (>50 nm) according to their sizes .…”