Abstract
Nitrogen doped carbon materials are now playing an important role in cutting edge innovations for energy conversion and storage technologies such as supercapacitors and proton exchange membrane fuel cells as well as in catalytic applications, adsorption and CO2 capture. The production of such materials using benign aqueous based processes, mild temperatures and renewable precursors is of great promise in addressing growing environmental concerns for cleaner power sources at a time of increasing global demand for energy. In this perspective, we show that nitrogen doped carbons prepared using sustainable processes such as “Hydrothermal Carbonisation” has advantages in many applications over the conventional carbons. We also summarize an array of synthetic strategies used to create such nitrogen doped carbons, and discuss the application of these novel materials.
©2012 by Walter de Gruyter Berlin Boston