3D Carbon Materials for Efficient Oxygen and Hydrogen Electrocatalysis

Sustainable energy production at an acceptable cost is key for its widespread application. At present, noble metals and metal oxides are the most widely used for electrocatalysis, but they suffer from low selectivity, poor durability, and scarcity. Because of this, metal-free carbons have become the subject of great interest as promising alternative electrocatalysts for energy conversion and storage devices, and remarkable progress has been accomplished in the advance of metal-free carbons as electrocatalysts for renewable energy technologies. Particularly interesting are 3D porous carbon architectures, which exhibit outstanding features for electrocatalysis applications, including broad range of active sites, interconnected porosity, high conductivity, and mechanical stability. This review summarizes the latest advances in 3D porous carbon structures for oxygen and hydrogen electrocatalysis. The structure-performance relationship of these materials is consequently rationalized and perspectives on creating more efficient 3D carbon electrocatalysts are suggested.