Carbon Semi-Tubes for Electrochemical Energy Catalysis

Xuebi Rao; Shiming Zhang; Jiujun Zhang

doi:10.1007/s41918-025-00238-z

Electrochemical Energy Reviews ›› 2025, Vol. 8 ›› Issue (1) :7 DOI: 10.1007/s41918-025-00238-z

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Carbon Semi-Tubes for Electrochemical Energy Catalysis

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¹Institute for Sustainable Energy/College of Sciences, Shanghai University, 200444, Shanghai, China

^a smzhang@shu.edu.cn

^b jiujun.zhang@i.shu.edu.cn

Xuebi Rao

Xuebi Rao is currently an M.S. student in the College of Science/Institute for Sustainable Energy at Shanghai University. Xuebi Rao received her B.S. degree from Xinyang Normal University in 2022. Her expertise areas are electrochemical energy technologies, such as electrocatalysis and fuel cells.

Shiming Zhang

Shiming Zhang is currently an Associate Professor in the College of Sciences/Institute for Sustainable Energy at Shanghai University. Dr. Zhang received his Ph.D. degree in Electrochemistry from Wuhan University in 2014, with an experience as an exchange student in 2013 at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. He then mainly carried out the postdoctoral research from 2015 to 2019 at Shanghai Electrochemical Energy Device Engineering Technology Research Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University. He was selected for the Shanghai Rising-Star Program in 2018. His expertise areas are electrochemical energy technologies, such as electrocatalysis, fuel cells, and Li-ion batteries.

Jiujun Zhang

Jiujun Zhang is a Professor in the College of Sciences/Institute for Sustainable Energy at Shanghai University, and a former Principal Research Officer at National Research Council of Canada (NRC). Dr. Zhang is a Fellow of Canadian Academy of Engineering (CAE), Fellow of The Academy of Science of The Royal Society of Canada (FRSCCA), Fellow of The Engineering Institute of Canada (EIC), Fellow of International Society of Electrochemistry (ISE), and Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC-UK). Dr. Zhang received his B.S. degree and M.S. degree in Electrochemistry from Peking University in 1982 and 1985, respectively, and his Ph.D. degree in Electrochemistry from Wuhan University in 1988. Dr. Zhang’s main research areas are Electrochemistry, Electrocatalysts, Fuel cells, Lithium batteries, Metal-air batteries, Supercapacitors, and H₂O/CO₂ electrolysis.

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Abstract

A carbon semi-tube (CST) is a novel carbon morphology and represents one of the most advanced carbon materials in the field of nanotechnology. Its discovery has enriched the carbon material family. The successful development of semi-tubular non/low noble metal electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR), hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), oxygen evolution reaction (OER), and electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO₂RR) can provide very promising insights into the future uses of CST in many electrochemical energy technologies, such as fuel cells, batteries, supercapacitors, water electrolysis, and CO₂-electrolysis. Its unique nanostructure has many notable properties, including semi-tubular morphology, high degree of openness, adjustable curvature, large specific surface area, abundant pores, good electronic/ionic conductivity, and an ordered structure. This new material is expected to have many applications, especially in the area of electrochemical energy storage and conversion.

Graphical Abstract

A carbon semi-tube (CST) with a novel semi-tubular morphology has been developed to supplement the carbon material family. This perspective introduces the progress of advanced carbon nanostructures, the success of CST-based non/low noble metal (platinum) catalysts for electrocatalysis, and the merits of CST for electrochemical technologies for electricity energy storage and conversion.

Keywords

Carbon semi-tube / ORR / HOR / HER / OER / CO₂RR / Electrocatalysis / Electrochemical energy

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Xuebi Rao, Shiming Zhang, Jiujun Zhang. Carbon Semi-Tubes for Electrochemical Energy Catalysis. Electrochemical Energy Reviews, 2025, 8(1): 7 DOI:10.1007/s41918-025-00238-z

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