Wood-Inspired Electrode for Sustainable Electrocatalytic Energy Conversion

Abstract

Electrocatalysis plays a central role in electrochemical energy storage and conversion systems, providing a number of sustainable processes for future technologies. As a green, renewable, and abundant natural polymer material, the unique structure and physicochemical properties of wood and its derivatives provide a unique application advantage in the field of electrocatalysis, which has aroused intense attention from researchers. At present, researchers have developed many wood-based catalytic electrodes by taking advantage of the anisotropic hierarchical porous structure of wood and abundant active functional groups on the cell wall surface of wood. Here, a comprehensive review of recent progress in the design and synthesis of wood-inspired electrodes for electrocatalytic reactions is summarized. Starting from the role and importance of the electrocatalytic process in the whole energy conversion system, this review highlights the composition and structure of wood, analyzes the mechanisms of electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), oxygen evolution reaction (OER), urea oxidation reaction (UOR), and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), and discusses the structure-activity relationship between the structural properties and electrochemical activity of wood-inspired electrodes. Finally, the opportunities, challenges, and future directions in the application of wood and its derivatives in the field of electrocatalysis are prospected.

Keywords

electrocatalysts / electrocatalytic energy conversion / hierarchical structure / physicochemical properties / wood

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