Abstract
Biochar (BCH) is a carbon-based bio-material produced from thermochemical conversion of biomass. Several activation or functionalization methods are usually used to improve physicochemical and functional properties of BCHs. In the context of green and sustainable future development, activated and functionalized biochars with abundant surface functional groups and large surface area can act as effective catalysts or catalyst supports for chemical transformation of a range of bioproducts in biorefineries. Above the well-known BCH applications, their use as adsorbents to remove pollutants are the mostly discussed, although their potential as catalysts or catalyst supports for advanced (electro)catalytic processes has not been comprehensively explored. In this review, the production/activation/functionalization of metal-supported biochar (M-BCH) are scrutinized, giving special emphasis to the metal-functionalized biochar-based (electro)catalysts as promising catalysts for bioenergy and bioproducts production. Their performance in the fields of biorefinery processes, and energy storage and conversion as electrode materials for oxygen and hydrogen evolutions, oxygen reduction, and supercapacitors, are also reviewed and discussed.
Highlights
Growing global concerns about climate change and environmental pollution are raising the search for alternative renewable and cost-effective resources that ensure sustainable development
In comparison with other carbon materials typically synthesized by complex and energy-consuming processes, biochar is a greener solid produced by cost-competitive processes that may valorize biomass wastes formed in forthcoming biorefineries, reducing their environmental impact [4,5]
The production of biochar can be mostly divided into pyrolysis, hydrothermal carbonization (HTC), and gasification according to the different thermochemical processes, all under oxygen-limited conditions to avoid severe biomass oxidation
Summary
Growing global concerns about climate change and environmental pollution are raising the search for alternative renewable and cost-effective resources that ensure sustainable development. As the most abundant and renewable natural reserve, biomass available from lignocellulose, crops, animal fats, and agricultural wastes is considered a promising substitute for fossil fuels [1]. It can be converted into materials, power, and value-added chemicals through distinctive processes including biochemical, thermochemical, physical, and mechanical transformations. NiO, Co3O4, MnO2, Co(OH), and Ni(OH)2—are frequently pseudo-capacitor materials [21], while precious metals like Pt or Ru have been proved active in the electro-oxidation of methanol [22]. Existing reviews condense biochar production methods, activation methodologies, and derived catalytic properties and applications, especially in fields such as restoration of soil/water and pollution control. We will only focus on explaining the main features derived from these methodologies
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