Electrocatalytic upgrading of wasted plastic

The gap

Evidence profile

Sourced from the future work and future-work section and stated challenges and abstract of the source papers, classified as general, spanning 3 journals. Those papers have been cited 257 times in total.

Supporting evidence — 4 representative gaps

• PGM-Free Biomass-Derived Electrocatalysts for Oxygen Reduction in Energy Conversion Devices: Promising Materials (2024) · Electrochemical Energy Reviews · cited 97× · doi

  High catalytic activity is the most important requirement for ORR electrocatalysts, which require specific physical and chemical descriptors such as high specific surface area and hierarchical porosity, high pyridinic-N content, high site density and turn-over frequency. Further, binding energies of O2 to active sites needs to be moderate according to the Sabatier Principle to obtain the highest activity. Electrochemical Energy Reviews (2024) 7:1 Page 41 of 52 1 However, durability and selectivity are also important. For example, selectivity for 4-electron reduction of ORR is desired in a fuel cell. An overview of a number of electrocatalysts obtained by biomass has been reviewed. We have highlighted several types of biomass and different synthetic methods and the role played by these in the structure and their electrocatalytic activity. The enhancement of ORR performance in fuel cells and metal air batteries must be the main driving force for the technological progression in this sector, requiring more efficient, scalable, sustainable and economical materials. The direct preparation of carbonaceous materials from biomass would have a potential advantage on these applications. Because of the renewable nature of the biomass, precursors are easy to produce. Under a controlled pyrolysis process, the structural properties of the biomass can be retained in the final porous carbon material (memory effect), which plays an utmost role in PEMFC/AEMFC and ZAB. The observed trends show that performance improves after doping and/ or co-doping with heteroatoms, but yet not enough. These materials suffer from degradation due to corrosion of carbon and leaching of transition metals, even if in a lesser extent compared to Pt/C-based electrocatalysts. This is especially important in acid electrolytes. Already existing commercial PGM-free electrocatalysts outperformed the results obtained so far with biomass-derived materials. However, it is crucial to note that a critical evaluation is important, to avoid the mistake of considering every biomass, even laughable ones (such as hairs, urine, guano), as a valid candidate for electrocatalysts’ synthesis, as pointed out by Pumera and coworkers. Biomass heterogeneity and variability of chemical characteristics are still an issue. The economic feasibility of biomass recycling for electrocatalysts production is still challenging to asses due to the limited data and few full-scale projects in operation. Moreover, the existing performance gap between biomass-derived electrocatalysts and commercial ones is still too high yet to push a process scale-up. In addition, the technology readiness level (TRL) of the examined processes in this review is still too low, below level 3 to 4 (“experimental proof of concept” and “technology validated in lab”) to support a solid economic feasibility analysis.

  generalfuture workevidence 5/5
  Keywords: biomass electrocatalysts high still important materials activity performance specific chemical selectivity fuel obtained role process
• Biomass-derived materials for energy storage and electrocatalysis: recent advances and future perspectives (2024) · Biochar · cited 41× · doi

  Future research should focus on the development of metal-free carbon catalysts or transition metal-based carbon composite catalysts for the OER. Researchers should also investigate the use of heteroatom doping to modulate the chemical and electrical properties of biomass-derived materials.

  generalfuture-work sectionevidence 5/5
  Keywords: future research focus development metal-free carbon catalysts transition
• Biomass-derived materials for energy storage and electrocatalysis: recent advances and future perspectives (2024) · Biochar · cited 41× · doi

  One challenge is the development of novel electrode materials and electrode structures with sufficiently high performance. Another challenge is the need to overcome the scientific and technical hurdles associated with biomass-derived materials. The use of hydrothermal carbonization and chemical activation also poses challenges, such as the production of chemical residues and the need for equipment corrosion protection.

  generalstated challengesevidence 5/5
  Keywords: one challenge development novel electrode materials structures sufficiently
• Electrocatalytic Upgrading of Plastic and Biomass‐Derived Polyols to Formamide under Ambient Conditions (2024) · Angewandte Chemie International Edition · cited 78× · doi

  Abstract Electrocatalytic upgrading of wasted plastic and renewable biomass represents a sustainable method to produce chemicals but is limited to carbohydrates, leaving other value‐added chemicals, such as organonitrogen compounds, being scarcely explored.

  generalabstractevidence 4/5
  Keywords: chemicals abstract electrocatalytic upgrading wasted plastic renewable biomass represents sustainable produce limited carbohydrates leaving value

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