Carbonaceous Materials: The Beauty of Simplicity

Abstract

The current mandates of a sustainable society and circular economy lead to the request that materials chemistry, but also chemistry as such, become significantly redesigned. Changes include the commonplace as the glassware we use, the minimization of wastes and side products or replacement strategies in the materials choice, among others. In this context, “carbons” are very versatile and already have found their place in a myriad of applications for a “carbon-neutral” society. They already take key enabling positions for sensors and biomaterials preparation, as energy conversion and storage electrodes, or as effluent remediation sorbents. Herein, we describe how carbon chemistry can be again re-designed to outperform benchmark materials in a number of fields, especially in energy storage, (electro)catalysis, as sorbents, but also in a new chemistry of the confined state.

Iron-Catalyzed C–H Activation for Heterocoupling and Copolymerization of Thiophenes with Enamines

“…Problems with the use of precious metals in chemistry may arise these days from nonscientific but nontrivial issues such as their toxicity and geographically uneven distribution of natural resources . Iron is the best alternative to precious metals in these respects but provides a scientific challenge in catalysis because of its propensity to prefer one-electron reaction pathways, the diversity of spin states due to degenerate 3d orbitals, and the low redox potential .…”

Porous carbon nanoarchitectonics for the environment: detection and adsorption

“…The development of our society is heavily dependent on the progress of materials science. Advanced materials science can develop materials that perform the desired functions based on combined efforts from chemical fields such as organic chemistry, 1-3 inorganic chemistry, [4][5][6] polymer chemistry, [7][8][9] coordination chemistry, [10][11][12] supramolecular chemistry, [13][14][15] and biochemistry. [16][17][18] Furthermore, various functional materials can also be created by integrating them.…”

Molecular Machines and Microrobots: Nanoarchitectonics Developments and On-Water Performances

“…Nanocarbons and inorganic nanoparticles are also used as materials for nanoarchitectonics of micro-level functional materials [ 153 , 154 , 155 ]. For example, Imae, Tsutsumiuchi, Kawai, and co-workers nanoarchitectonized a composite consisting of magnetite nanoparticles, carbon dots, and carbon nanohorns [ 156 ].…”