Sustainable Catalytic Processes Driven by Graphene-Based Materials

Abstract

In the recent two decades, graphene-based materials have achieved great successes in catalytic processes towards sustainable production of chemicals, fuels and protection of the environment. In graphene, the carbon atoms are packed into a well-defined sp2-hybridized honeycomb lattice, and can be further constructed into other dimensional allotropes such as fullerene, carbon nanotubes, and aerogels. Graphene-based materials possess appealing optical, thermal, and electronic properties, and the graphitic structure is resistant to extreme conditions. Therefore, the green nature and robust framework make the graphene-based materials highly favourable for chemical reactions. More importantly, the open structure of graphene affords a platform to host a diversity of functional groups, dopants, and structural defects, which have been demonstrated to play crucial roles in catalytic processes. In this perspective, we introduced the potential active sites of graphene in green catalysis and showcased the marriage of metal-free carbon materials in chemical synthesis, catalytic oxidation, and environmental remediation. Future research directions are also highlighted in mechanistic investigation and applications of graphene-based materials in other promising catalytic systems.

A current overview of the oxidative desulfurization of fuels utilizing heat and solar light: from materials design to catalysis for clean energy

“…In regard to GO, the emergence of rich oxygen-containing functional groups like hydroxyl groups and carboxyl groups on the surface, which are valuable reaction sites for catalysis, has inspired numerous researchers to investigate its activity in ODS. 201 For example, Abdi and co-workers prepared GO using the modified Hummers' method and studied its catalytic activity in oxidizing sulfides to sulfones with H 2 O 2 . 202 In the absence of extractive solvent, GO achieved 95% conversion of thioanisole in 20 min owing to its amphiphilic property that allowed uniform dispersion in the organic phase.…”

Hybrid sp2/sp3 nanodiamonds as heterogeneous metal-free ozonation catalysts in water

“…The development of metal-free heterogeneous catalysts is an area of great interest for academia and industry [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]. The ultimate goal of carbocatalysis is the replacement of transition metal catalysts by sustainable and cost-effective metal-free carbonaceous materials [10][11][12]. A clear example of sustainability in this area has been the use of activated carbons obtained from biomass as carbocatalysts [13,14].…”

Recent advances in the catalytic applications of GO/rGO for green organic synthesis

“…Some fundamental aspects of graphene, GO, graphene quantum dots, graphene nanoribbon, etc., are also discussed followed by progress in materials engineering concerning graphene covering materials fabrication, detailed properties and applications. Navalón et al [59] highlighted the achievements of graphene-based materials in green catalytic processes. The synthesis and features in carbocatalysis including hydrocarbon conversions and environmental purification, covering advanced oxidation processes, organic synthesis, selective oxidation and hydrogenation reactions have also been elucidated.…”