Recent Advances in Carbon‐Based Metal‐Free Electrocatalysts

• Published in: Advanced materials (Weinheim) 2019-08, Vol.31 (31), p.e1806403-n/a
• Main Authors: Paul, Rajib, Zhu, Lin, Chen, Hao, Qu, Jia, Dai, Liming
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Carbon; Carbon nanotubes; Catalysts; Catalytic converters; Electrocatalysts; energy; Energy conversion; Energy storage; environment; Fuel cells; Iridium; Iron; Materials science; metal‐free catalysts; Noble metals; Organic chemistry; Selectivity; Storage batteries; Transition metals; Water splitting
• ISSN: 0935-9648; 1521-4095
• DOI: 10.1002/adma.201806403

Precious noble metals (such as Pt, Ir) and nonprecious transition metals (e.g., Fe, Co), including their compounds (e.g., oxides, nitrides), have been widely investigated as efficient catalysts for energy conversion, energy storage, important chemical productions, and many industrial processes. However, they often suffer from high cost, low selectivity, poor durability, and susceptibility to gas poisoning with adverse environmental issues. As a low‐cost alternative, the first carbon‐based metal‐free catalyst (C‐MFC based on N‐doped carbon nanotubes) was discovered in 2009. Since then, various C‐MFCs have been demonstrated to show similar or even better catalytic performance than their metal‐based counterparts, attractive energy conversion and storage (e.g., fuel cells, metal–air batteries, water splitting), environmental remediation, and chemical production. Enormous progress has been achieved while the number of publications still rapidly increases every year. Herein, a critical overview of the very recent advances in this rapidly developing field during the last couple of years is presented. Carbon‐based metal‐free catalysts, introduced in 2009, have emerged as a low‐cost alternative to commercial metal catalysts with similar or even better catalytic performance and longer stability for energy conversion and storage (e.g., fuel cells, metal–air batteries, water splitting), environmental remediation, and chemical production. A timely critical review of the enormous recent progress in this exciting field is presented.