Biomass-Derived sustainable carbon materials in energy conversion and storage applications: Status and opportunities. A mini review

Electrochemical renewable energy technologies are receiving increasing attention for overcoming the serious energy crisis and environment deterioration. The versatile electrode materials, especially carbon-based hybrids play a decisive role in the adhibition of various energy conversion and storage equipments. Biomass-derived carbon materials occupy a pivotal position as the crucial electrode materials in emerging renewable energy devices, owing to their special electrochemical performance, environmental benignity and economic value. This brief review encompasses the recent achievements and representative synthesis strategies on application of sustainable biomass-derived carbon-based hybrids as electrode for energy equipments including catalyst for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER), hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), metal–air batteries, supercapacitors (SCs), rechargeable batteries and so on. Then the significant role of defect-control, activation reagents, porosity, specific surface area and graphitic degree on the electrochemical activity is also studied in detail. This work will provide a valuable avenue of biomass-derived electrode hybrids for advanced energy conversion and storage technologies.