Biomass-derived carbon materials for sustainable energy applications: a comprehensive review

Abstract

Biomass-derived carbon materials (BDCMs) represent a versatile and sustainable solution for a range of energy generation and storage applications, owing to their tunable porosity, high surface area, and excellent electrochemical properties. With the growing demand for renewable energy technologies, BDCMs have emerged as promising candidates for supercapacitors, batteries, fuel cells, and catalytic applications. These materials, derived from abundant and renewable biomass sources such as agricultural waste, forestry residues, and municipal solid waste, offer a cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional fossil-fuel-based carbon materials. Key synthesis methods, including pyrolysis, hydrothermal carbonization, and chemical activation, enable the development of carbon materials with tailored structural and chemical properties. Additionally, advancements in activation processes, heteroatom doping, and surface modification techniques further enhance the electrochemical performance of BDCMs, making them suitable for high-performance energy devices. Recent studies have demonstrated the potential of BDCMs in applications such as lithium-ion batteries, sodium-ion batteries, supercapacitors, and electrochemical double-layer capacitors, offering high specific capacitances, excellent rate performance, and long cycling stability. This review highlights the synthesis techniques, structural tuning strategies, and emerging trends in BDCMs, with a focus on their impact on energy storage and generation systems. By utilizing biomass-derived materials, this research paves the way for eco-friendly, sustainable energy solutions to address the growing global energy demand.