Porous Carbon Catalyst Research Articles

ZIF‐8‐Derived Dual Metal (Fe, Ni)‐Nitrogen‐Doped Porous Carbon for Superior ORR Performance in Universal Acid‐Base Properties Solutions

AbstractFe‐N/C catalysts have currently comparable oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity to Pt/C catalysts, which are up for consideration as the most promising non‐precious metal material for research. In spite of this, its development and application are limited by the Fenton effect and insufficient stability. Herein, we have fabricated a FeNi‐nitrogen‐doped porous carbon (FeNi‐NPC) catalyst using solvent thermal method, made from the bimetallic (Fe, Ni)‐doped ZIF‐8. A soft template of glucose was used to control the pore structure and active specific surface area of the catalyst. With the benefit of the electronic effect of the bimetal, FeNi‐NPC catalysts exhibit superior ORR activity and stability to Pt/C catalysts in both acidic (E1/2=0.8672 V) and alkaline (E1/2=0.8663 V) conditions. FeNi‐NPC demonstrated peak power densities in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) of up to 865 mW cm−2, which exceeds the currently reported M‐N/C catalysts. The work presented here will lead to the design of efficient ORR electrocatalysts in PEMFC devices.

Synthesis of Platinum Nanocrystals Dispersed on Nitrogen-Doped Hierarchically Porous Carbon with Enhanced Oxygen Reduction Reaction Activity and Durability.

Platinum-based catalysts are widely used for efficient catalysis of the acidic oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). However, the agglomeration and leaching of metallic Pt nanoparticles limit the catalytic activity and durability of the catalysts and restrict their large-scale commercialization. Therefore, this study aimed to achieve a uniform distribution and strong anchoring of Pt nanoparticles on a carbon support and improve the ORR activity and durability of proton-exchange membrane fuel cells. Herein, we report on the facile one-pot synthesis of a novel ORR catalyst using metal-nitrogen-carbon (M-N-C) bonding, which is formed in situ during the ion exchange and pyrolysis processes. An ion-exchange resin was used as the carbon source containing R-N+(CH3)3 groups, which coordinate with PtCl62- to form nanosized Pt clusters confined within the macroporous framework. After pyrolysis, strong M-N-C bonds were formed, thereby preventing the leaching and aggregation of Pt nanoparticles. The as-synthesized Pt supported on the N-doped hierarchically porous carbon catalyst (Pt/NHPC-800) showed high specific activity (0.3 mA cm-2) and mass activity (0.165 A mgPt-1), which are approximately 2.7 and 1.5 times higher than those of commercial Pt/C, respectively. The electrochemical surface area of Pt/NHPC-800 remained unchanged (~1% loss) after an accelerated durability test of 10,000 cycles. The mass activity loss after ADT of Pt/NHPC-800 was 18%, which is considerably lower than that of commercial Pt/C (43%). Thus, a novel ORR catalyst with highly accessible and homogeneously dispersed Pt-N-C sites, high activity, and durability was successfully prepared via one-pot synthesis. This facile and scalable synthesis strategy for high-efficiency catalysts guides the further synthesis of commercially available ORR catalysts.

Atomically dispersed Ni-N-C catalyst derived from NiZn layered double hydroxides for efficient electrochemical CO2 reduction

Atomically dispersed catalytic metal sites anchored on N-doped carbon support catalysts (M-N-C) show great prospects for CO2 electroreduction. Here, single-layer NiZn layered double hydroxides (NiZn-LDHs) was used as a sacrificial assistant to fabricate single-Ni atom anchored on ultrathin porous carbon catalyst. NiZn-LDHs were exfoliated to single-layer by polyhydroxy compounds which took as the carbon resource in Ni-N-C, and single layer NiZn LDHs taking as the Ni resource could avoid the agglomeration of Ni atoms during calcining. The CO Faradaic efficiency (FECO) of the synthesized Ni-N-C catalyst exceeded 90% at −0.6 to −1.0 V and a FECO of 95.2% with a current density of 24 mA cm−2 at −0.9 V. This work not only provides a new method for preparing M-N-C catalysts, but also offers an effective and controllable strategy for large-scale production of high-performance single-atom catalysts.

A confined MoN2@N-rich carbon catalyst derived from β-cyclodextrin encapsulating phosphomolybdic acid for oxidative removal of H2S

The efficient removal of H2S is significant to the chemical industry and environmental protection. In this study, a macrocycle-confinement pyrolysis strategy was explored to synthesize a confined MoN2@N-rich porous carbon (MoN2@NPC) catalyst using β-cyclodextrin encapsulating phosphomolybdic acid (PMo12 ⊂ β-CD) as a Mo precursor to improve the desulfurization activity of carbonaceous catalysts for the efficient conversion of H2S to sulfur. The decomposition of PMo12 ⊂ β-CD not only generated well distributed MoN2 sites, but also enriched pore structures due to the pore-forming ability of β-CD. MoN2@NPC possessed a high breakthrough capacity of 173.9 mg/g at room temperature and excellent durability (>100 h) at 200 °C toward continuous H2S selective oxidation. Furthermore, MoN2@NPC showed a remarkable superiority to common catalysts (PC, NPC, and MoN2-NPC), revealing the effectiveness of the macrocycle-confinement pyrolysis strategy for strengthening desulfurization activity. The excellent desulfurization ability of MoN2@NPC was attributed to the synergetic effect of uniform MoN2 sites and N species (pyridinic N and pyrrolic N). Additionally, the formed water film and activated O2 on MoN2@NPC further induced H2S dissociation and oxidation. This work provides a key insight into the behavior of H2S oxidative removal over NPC-based catalysts and offers a promising route to construct non-precious catalysts with high desulfurization activity.

A CoPd nanoalloy embedded N-doped porous carbon catalyst for the selective reduction and reductive amination of levulinic acid using formic acid in water

Formic acid-mediated levulinic acid valorization was conducted using a CoPd nanoalloy embedded N-doped carbon catalyst for the production of γ-valerolactone and pyrrolidones.

Regulation of graphitized pore structure adjacent to atomic Fe[sbnd]N4 sites with pyrolyzing rate for highly active oxygen reduction reaction electrocatalysts

Non-noble metal monatomic ORR catalysts supported on carbon materials have drawn extensive attention for their maximum atomic activity utilization and high electrocatalytic efficiency. The pore structure of carbon carriers and rational design of efficient active sites are still one of the most serious challenges. Here, by regulating the graphitization of the pores surrounding FeN4 sites with a rapid pyrolyzing rate, we synthesized a nanosheet Fe-N4@graphitized porous carbon catalyst (Fe-N4@GPC) that exhibits higher ORR activity (E1/2 of 0.891 V) and cyclic stability (5000 cycle decay 11 mV) than commercial Pt/C catalyst in alkaline electrolyte. In addition, the assembled primary zinc-air battery has a superior performance (open circuit potential of 1.47 V and power density of 205.7 mW cm−2) than Pt/C catalyst (1.45 V, 199.6 mW cm−2). Compared with the FeN4 catalyst fabricated at a regular pyrolyzing rate, Fe-N4@GPC feature isolated FeN4 active sites surrounded by rich graphitized pores on nanosheets, which facilitates the electron and molecular-ionic transfer and thereby promoting the ORR performance. Therefore, this study highlights the significance of pyrolyzing rate regulation in modulating the graphitization of pores adjacent to the FeN4 active sites, which contributes to developing rational design and synthesis of efficient carbon-based monatomic catalysts in the future.

High-performance atomic Co/N co–doped porous carbon catalysts derived from Co–doped metal–organic frameworks for oxygen reduction

Improving the activity and durability of carbon-based catalysts is a key challenge for their application in fuel cells. Herein, we report a highly active and durable Co/N co-doped carbon (CoNC) catalyst prepared via pyrolysis of Co–doped zeolitic–imidazolate framework–8 (ZIF–8), which was synthesized by controlling the feeding sequence to enable Co to replace Zn in the metal–organic framework (MOF). The catalyst exhibited excellent oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) performance, while the half-wave potential decreased by only 8 mV after 5,000 accelerated stress test (AST) cycles in an acidic solution. Furthermore, the catalyst exhibited satisfactory cathodic catalytic performance when utilized in a hydrogen/oxygen single proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell and a Zn-air battery, yielding maximum power densities of 530 and 164 mW cm−2, respectively. X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and high-angle annular dark field-scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAAD–STEM) analyses revealed that Co was present in the catalyst as single atoms coordinated with N to form Co–N moieties, which results in the high catalytic performance. These results show that the reported catalyst is a promising material for inclusion into future fuel cell designs.

Conductivity-enhanced porous N/P co-doped metal-free carbon significantly enhances oxygen reduction kinetics for aqueous/flexible zinc-air batteries

Heteroatom-doped metal-free carbon catalysts for oxygen reduction reactions have gained significant attention because of their unusual activity and economic cost. Here, a novel N/P co-doped porous carbon catalyst (NPPC) with a high surface area for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is constructed by a facile high-temperature calcination method employing ZIF-8 as the precursor and red phosphorus as the phosphorus source. In particular, ZIF-8 is firstly calcined to obtain N-doped carbon (NC) followed by further calcination with red phosphorus to obtain NPPC. Ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) analysis shows that the ultra-low amount of P doping could significantly decrease the work function from 4.32 to 3.86 eV. The resultant catalyst exhibits a promising electrocatalytic activity with a half-wave potential (E1/2) of 0.87 V and a limiting current density (JL) of 5.15 mA cm−2. Besides, it also shows improved catalytic efficiency and excellent durability with a negligible decay of JL after 2000 CV cycles. Moreover, aqueous and solid-state flexible zinc-air batteries (ZAB) using the catalyst show a promising application potential. This work provides new insight into developing P/N-doped metal-free carbon ORR catalysts.

Nickel iron alloy embedded, nitrogen doped porous carbon catalyst for efficient water electrolysis

Metal-support electronic interaction is a feasible way to enhance the catalytic activity and bifunctionality for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), and further the easily water electrolysis for hydrogen production at low cost. Herein, NiFe alloy embedded in N doped carbon support hybrid (NiFe@NC) was prepared by pyrolysis of metal ions impregnated bamboo precursor. In this NiFe@NC hybrid, the surface (oxy)hydroxide layer of alloy led to high OER efficiency (overpotential of 270 mV at 10 mA cm−2), and the alloy-support interaction enabled high catalytic efficiency for HER (overpotential of 206 mV at −10 mA cm−2). Benefitted by the bifunctional features, the symmetric water electrolyzer based on two identical NiFe@NC electrodes demonstrated acceptable input voltage and high faradaic efficiencies (FEs) for water electrolysis. The current work offers a feasible showcase for fulfilling of bifunctional catalyses in water electrolysis via the metal-support electronic interaction.

Bimetallic zeolite imidazolium framework derived multiphase Co/HNC as pH-universal catalysts with efficient oxygen reduction performance for microbial fuel cells

Here, the metallic Co encapsulated in hierarchical porous nitrogen-doped carbon (Co/HNC) catalysts is synthesized by pyrolysis of bimetallic (Co, Zn) zeolite imidazolium framework (ZIF) precursors to facilitate oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in microbial fuel cell (MFC). Importantly, the highly dispersed cobalt nanoparticles are completely encapsulated in the N-doped hierarchical porous carbon, with abundant metal-nitrogen active sites and high degree of graphitization, which is very favorable for the ORR process. As a result, the Co/HNC as pH-universal catalyst shows remarkable ORR properties in alkaline, acidic and neutral environments. More notably, the density functional theory (DFT) calculation demonstrates that the introduction of cobalt can reduce the ORR overpotential and improves the ORR catalytic activity. Furthermore, the assembled MFCs with Co/HNC as cathode catalysts also exhibit high power density of 1324.5 mWm−2, and an output voltage of 0.48 V. Consequently, the investigation provides a new perspective for preparing high-performance and stable electrocatalysts for MFC devices.

Nitrogen-Doped Porous Carbon from Biomass with Efficient Toluene Adsorption and Superior Catalytic Performance.

The chemical composition and surface groups of the carbon support affect the adsorption capacity of toluene. To investigate the effect of catalyst substrate on the catalytic performance, two different plant biomasses, banana peel and sugarcane peel, were used as carbon precursors to prepare porous carbon catalyst supports (Cba, Csu, respectively) by a chemical activation method. After decorating PtCo3 nanoparticles onto both carbon supports (Cba, Csu), the PtCo3-su catalyst demonstrated better catalytic performance for toluene oxidation (T100 = 237 °C) at a high space velocity of 12,000 h-1. The Csu support possessed a stronger adsorption capacity of toluene (542 mg g-1), resulting from the synergistic effect of micropore volume and nitrogen-containing functional groups, which led to the PtCo3-su catalyst exhibiting a better catalytic performance. Moreover, the PtCo3-su catalyst also showed excellent stability, good water resistance properties, and high recyclability, which can be used as a promising candidate for practical toluene catalytic combustion.

Enhanced dual atomic Fe-Ni sites in N-doped carbon for bifunctional oxygen electrocatalysis

Atomically dispersed catalysts with high electrocatalytic performance are emerging as promising electrocatalysts for energy conversion and storage devices. Nevertheless, achieving superior bifunctional catalytic activity with single-atom catalysts toward reactions involving multi-intermediates is still facing great challenges. Herein, dual-atomic Fe-Ni pairs dispersed in hierarchical porous nitrogen-doped carbon (FeNi-HPNC) catalysts were successfully synthesized using a facile mechanochemical strategy. By virtue of the engineered electronic structure of Fe coordinated with Ni, the as-synthesized FeNi-HPNC with atomically dispersed dual-metal active sites and pore-rich structure exhibits remarkable bifunctional activities. A high half-wave potential of 0.868 V for oxygen reduction reaction and a low potential of 1.59 V at 10 mA/cm2 for oxygen evolution reaction have been obtained for FeNi-HPNC, which are superior to the single-atom catalysts of Fe-HPNC and Ni-HPNC, respectively, and are even greater than the precious metal catalysts. Combined experimental and theoretical results have revealed that the enhanced bifunctional catalytic activity of FeNi-HPNC is ascribed to the electronic interaction of Fe-Ni sites, which decreases the adsorption energy of oxygen intermediates during oxygen reduction reaction/oxygen evolution reaction. Furthermore, the practical application of FeNi-HPNC catalysts in Zn-air batteries has been demonstrated; a high peak power density and long-term durability are delivered.

Isolation anchoring strategy for in situ synthesis of iron single-atom catalysts towards long-term rechargeable zinc-air battery

The reasonable design and construction of single-atom electrocatalysts with low-cost and excellent intrinsic activity for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is indispensable in metal-air batteries. Herein, a facile isolation anchoring strategy was reported for in situ formation of porous N-doped carbon catalysts (Fe1/NC) rich in Fe single atoms. The d-glucose, zinc gluconate and N-rich histidine were deployed as spatial isolation agents and anchoring agents to inhibit iron atom aggregation during the high-temperature pyrolysis. The as-synthesized Fe1/NC catalyst shows remarkable stability and superior ORR electrocatalytic activity under both alkaline and acidic conditions owing to highly dispersed Fe–N4 sites, especially with a half-wave potential up to 0.91 V in 0.1 M KOH, exceeding 60 mV compared with Pt/C. Notably, the Fe1/NC-based Zn-air battery exhibits maximal power density of 164 mW cm−2, large specific capacities of 769 mA h gZn−1, excellent cycle stability over 300 h, and great potential in renewable energy conversion electronics.

A ZIF-8-derived copper-nitrogen co-hybrid carbon catalyst for peroxymonosulfate activation to degrade BPA

A series of copper-nitrogen co-hybrid porous carbon catalysts were prepared by pyrolysis of copper-doped ZIF-8 in argon atmosphere. Both the precursors and the corresponding pyrolysis products retained the polyhedral morphology of ZIF-8. The catalytic performance of the catalysts obtained at different Cu doping levels and pyrolysis temperatures for PMS activation was compared by bisphenol A (BPA) degradation experiment. Among them 5%Cu-NC(8) catalyst obtained by pyrolysis of 5%Cu-ZIF-8 at 950 °C showed the best catalytic performance. The catalytic mechanism of PMS activation catalyzed by 5%Cu-NC(8) was analyzed by quenching experiment, ESR and XPS. The degradation pathways of BPA in 5%Cu-NC(8)/PMS system were proposed on the basis of LC-MS analyses. Pyridine N (including Cu–N), graphite N, CO group and the valence change of Cu were recognized as the catalytic active sites for 5%Cu-NC(8). Both free radical and non-free radical processes were involved in BPA degradation, and singlet oxygen (1O2) was identified to be the main active substance. The stable performance and low Cu leaching rate in recycling experiment indicated that 5%Cu-NC(8) had good reusability and stability. This study provided a new insight for the design of heterogeneous copper-nitrogen co-hybrid carbon catalysts.

Engineering Hollow Core-Shell N-C@Co/N-C Catalysts with Bits of Ni Doping Used as Efficient Electrocatalysts in Microbial Fuel Cells.

The sluggish and inefficient oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) of cathode catalysts in microbial fuel cells is widely accepted as the key restriction in implementing their large-scale actual production application. Recently, modification of nitrogen-doping carbon materials with some transition metal species (M-N-C) is expected to be reserve force to substitute commercial noble metal catalysts. However, long-term stability is always unable to solve effectively. We report a simple synthetic approach of metal-organic framework-derived hollow core-shell Co-nitrogen codoping-modified porous carbon catalysts (N-C@Co/N-C-n%Ni), which is introduced by bits of Ni substance, via the template method and vacuum-assisted impregnation method that exhibit similar catalytic activity to commercial Pt/C catalysts. The hollow core-shell H-N-C@Co/N-C-3%Ni catalyst shows excellent ORR performance and stability, which is 96.31% of the initial current after 125 h continuous reaction, and has been capable of yielding a maximum power density of 1.17 ± 0.01 W·m-2 with 2% decrease in 45 days for long-term continuous operation.

CoNi alloy anchored onto N-doped porous carbon for the removal of sulfamethoxazole: Catalyst, mechanism, toxicity analysis, and application

Developing highly efficient, stable, recyclable, and application value heterogeneous catalysts in advanced oxidation processes has essential application value in the degradation of refractory pollutants. In this paper, the CoNi alloy anchored onto N-doped porous carbon (CoNi-600@NC) catalyst was prepared using bimetallic doped metal-organic frameworks as precursors. The magnetic CoNi-600@NC can activate peroxymonosulfate (PMS) to degrade sulfamethoxazole (SMX). Therefore, SMX can be removed 100% within 25 min. CoNi-600@NC/PMS has a broad pH (3–9) application range, good applicability, and repeatability. Radical quenching, quantitative and electrochemical experiments proved that the degradation of SMX was dominated by free radical (Superoxide anions) and non-free radical pathways (surface-bound radicals). Mechanistic analysis showed that the interaction between Co-Nx/pyridine N-sites and graphitized carbon with PMS induced the formation of surface-bound active species. Moreover, CoNi nanoparticles promoted the redox cycle of metals. The synergistic catalytic mechanisms between the CoNi alloy and the abundant functional groups gave CoNi-600@NC excellent catalytic properties and applicability. Using density functional theory predicted the reaction sites of SMX and proposed four degradation pathways. The toxicity of intermediates was comprehensively evaluated. In addition, a CoNi-600@NC continuous flow reactor was constructed with a daily treatment capacity of 45 L and 100% SMX removal. This study expands the application of persulfate advanced oxidation technology by synthesizing recyclable magnetic catalysts and provides new synergistic degradation mechanisms for removing refractory organics.

Leather waste as precursor to prepare bifunctional catalyst for alkaline and neutral zinc-air batteries

Carbon materials derived from biomass waste are considered as potential electrocatalysts for applications in zinc-air batteries (ZABs) due to their low cost and good catalytic activity. Here, we reported the preparation of gel-based catalysts through utilizing hydrolyzed waste leather powder cross-linked with metallic salt solutions. After calcination, iron-nickel alloy anchored in nitrogen-doped porous carbon catalysts (FeNi@NDC) was achieved. Compared with commercial Pt/C catalyst, FeNi@NDC-800 exhibited lower E1/2 (0.77 V) and better durability. More importantly, the resulting FeNi@NDC-800-based alkaline ZABs achieved power density of 93.01 mW/cm2 and open circuit voltage of 1.45 V, which the FeNi@NDC-800-based neutral ZAB displayed a charge/discharge cycle stability of 275 h. This work opens up the possibility of rational design and preparation of low-cost and high-performance electrocatalysts from recyclable leather waste.

Nitrogen and Sulfur Enriched Porous Carbon Materials with Trace Fe Derived from Hyper‐Crosslinked Polymer as an Efficient Oxygen Reduction Electrocatalyst

AbstractExploring and designing a non‐precious metal‐based electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction reactions with high efficiency is imperative for commercializing fuel cell technology. In the present work, an approach to synthesize N, and S ‐doped porous carbon catalysts with trace Fe derived from N, S enriched hyper‐crosslinked polymer for ORR by ZnCl2 activation at high temperature is described. The optimized catalyst (HCP‐NSZn‐900) exhibited an impressive catalytic activity towards ORR due to its high surface area, excellent porosity, and effective doping of Fe and heteroatoms. Accordingly, HCP‐NSZn‐900 demonstrates a high onset potential of 0.98 V (vs. RHE) with a large diffusion‐limited current density of 4.72 mA cm−2, and improved tolerance to methanol crossover, significantly longer durability in contrast to the Pt/C catalyst. Furthermore, HCP‐NSZn‐900 confirmed the 4‐electron transfer selectivity (n∼4.0). Therefore, the synthesized materials could be a potential replacement for Pt/C catalyst for energy conversion technologies.

Facile synthesis of novel molybdenum disulfide decorated banana peel porous carbon electrode for hydrogen evolution reaction

Hydrogen is one of the cleanest renewable and environmentally friendly energy resource that can be generated through water splitting. However, hydrogen evolution occurs at high overpotential, and efficient hydrogen evolution catalysts are desired to replace state-of-the-art catalysts such as platinum. In the present work, a novel molybdenum disulfide decorated banana peel porous carbon (MoS2@BPPC) catalyst has been developed using banana peel carbon and molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Banana peel porous carbon (BPPC) was initially synthesized from the banana peel (biowaste) by a simple carbonization method. Subsequently, 20 wt% of bare MoS2 was distributed on the pristine BPPC matrix using the dry-impregnation method. The resulting MoS2@BPPC composites were systematically investigated to determine the morphology and structure. Finally, using a three-electrode cell system, pristine BPPC, bare MoS2, and MoS2@BPPC composite were used as HER electrocatalysts. The developed MoS2@BPPC composite showed greater HER activity and possessed excellent stability in the acid solution, including an overpotential of 150 mV at a current density of −10 mA cm−2, and a Tafel slope of 51 mV dec−1. This Tafel study suggests that the HER takes place by Volmer–Heyrovsky mechanism with a rate-determining Heyrovsky step. The excellent electrochemical performance of MoS2@BPPC composite for HER can be ascribed to its unique porous nanoarchitecture. Further, due to the synergetic effect between MoS2 and porous carbon. The HER activity using the MoS2@BPPC electrode advises that the prepared catalyst may hold great promise for practical applications.

Petroleum pitch-derived porous carbon as a metal-free catalyst for direct propane dehydrogenation to propylene

Propane dehydrogenation (PDH), as one of the most promising strategies for propylene synthesis, has attracted tremendous attention with the increase of shale gas exploitation. The exploration of green and sustainable catalytic materials to replace the high-price (Pt-Sn/Al2O3) and environmentally unfavorable (Cr2O3/Al2O3) catalysts will drive the rapid development of PDH technology. Porous carbon-based materials have been proposed as ideal PDH catalysts due to their abundant surface quinone/ketone CO groups for C-H bond activation and well-developed pore structures for mass transfer. However, the facile preparation of carbon-based catalysts with controllable surface properties and unique architectures remains a challenge. And the structure-function relationship of carbon-based catalysts in PDH is also under debate. Herein, we report a simple and efficient synthetic method to prepare the porous carbon-based PDH catalysts with cheap and readily available petroleum pitch as carbon source. The surface chemical properties and architectures of the porous carbon-based catalysts can be precisely tailored by varying the activation temperature during the synthesis process. Various characterizations including X-ray photoelectron spectra, temperature-programmed pyrolysis curves, thermogravimetric analysis and morphology observations clarify that the plentiful surface quinone/ketone CO groups and appropriate adsorption/desorption strengths of reactant/products derived from the great specific surface area are vital factors that guarantee the excellent C-H bond activation capability (propane conversion 45.6%) and alkenes selectivity (73.9%, propylene and ethylene) of the petroleum pitch-derived porous carbon catalyst. This work not only provides a promising alternative catalyst for the PDH process but also enriches the application fields of the carbon-based catalysts.