Sustainable Carbon Materials for Catalysis, Energy Conversion, and Environmental Remediation

Year : 2026 | Volume : 13 | Issue : 02 | Page : 47 52
    By

    Tharun KP,

  • Indra Neel Pulidindi,

  1. MBBS student, Department of Ear, Nose and Throat, Saveetha Medical College (SMC) and Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences (SIMATS), Saveetha Nagar, Thandalam, Tamil Nadu, India
  2. Assistant professor, Department of Ear, Nose and Throat, Saveetha Medical College (SMC) and Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences (SIMATS), Saveetha Nagar, Thandalam, Tamil Nadu, India

Abstract

Among the most ancient and adaptable materials used by humans, carbon finds use in a wide range of industries, including electronics, energy production, medicine, water purification, air filtration, and catalysis. Among them, activated carbon’s highly developed microporous structure, remarkably large specific surface area, and adjustable surface functions have drawn a great deal of attention from both science and industry. Activated carbon materials have been widely used as molecular sieves, adsorbents for hazardous gases, catalysts, catalytic supports, and environmental remediation agents because of these special physicochemical characteristics. They are essential to contemporary environmental protection methods because of their capacity to absorb contaminants, heavy metals, dyes, and volatile organic compounds. Numerous unique carbon nanostructures with remarkable structural, electrical, thermal, and catalytic capabilities have been discovered and developed in recent decades as a result of the quick developments in nanotechnology and materials science. These include fullerenes, graphene, carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and carbon nanodots (CNDs), the newest class of carbon allotropes. These nanostructured carbon materials are very promising for use in sensing, bioimaging, drug delivery, photocatalysis, electrocatalysis, and renewable energy systems because of their exceptional electron mobility, chemical stability, mechanical strength, and optical properties. Conventional carbon compounds have demonstrated effectiveness as catalysts in various industrial and environmental processes.However, despite their remarkable surface reactivity, quantum confinement effects, photoluminescence behaviour, and ecologically benign nature, the recently developed carbon nanoarchitectures—in particular, carbon nanodots and their heteroatom-doped analogues—remain relatively understudied. These cutting-edge materials have a great deal of promise for energy-related and catalytic applications of the future. Thus, it is crucial to conduct a thorough examination into the synthesis, functionalisation, catalytic processes, and real-world uses of carbon nanodots. In addition to improving scientific knowledge of carbon-based nanomaterials, increasing study in this area will greatly improve green technology advancements and sustainable material science.

Keywords: Activated carbon, biomass, graphite, carbon nanodots, carbon nanotubes, graphene, catalytic applications, environmental remediation

[This article belongs to Emerging Trends in Chemical Engineering ]

How to cite this article:
Tharun KP, Indra Neel Pulidindi. Sustainable Carbon Materials for Catalysis, Energy Conversion, and Environmental Remediation. Emerging Trends in Chemical Engineering. 2026; 13(02):47-52.
How to cite this URL:
Tharun KP, Indra Neel Pulidindi. Sustainable Carbon Materials for Catalysis, Energy Conversion, and Environmental Remediation. Emerging Trends in Chemical Engineering. 2026; 13(02):47-52. Available from: https://journals.stmjournals.com/etce/article=2026/view=248971


References

  1. Viswanathan B, Neel PI, Varadarajan TK. Development of carbon materials for energy and environmental applications. Catalysis surveys from Asia. 2009 Sep;13(3):164-83.
  2. Mahalakshmy R, Indraneel P, Viswanathan B. Surface functionalities of nitric acid treated carbon–A density functional theory based vibrational analysis. Indian journal of chemistry. Section A, Inorganic, bio-inorganic, physical, theoretical & analytical chemistry. 2009 Mar 1;48(2):352.
  3. Prakash AV, Neel PI, Viswanathan B. Bio-analogous electrode for oxygen reduction reaction. Indian Journal of Chemistry. 2010 Nov 1;49:1441-3.
  4. Tabah B, Pulidindi IN, Chitturi VR, Arava LM, Varvak A, Foran E, Gedanken A. Solar-energy-driven conversion of biomass to bioethanol: A sustainable approach. Journal of Materials Chemistry A. 2017;5(30):15486-506.
  5. Kanani B, Zahedi A, Movahedirad S, Tafavogh M. Design and optimization of an integrated vacuum fermentation and sustainable solar energy system for high-performance bioethanol production as a biofuel: Experimental and simulation study. Renewable Energy. 2026 Apr 15:125801.
  6. . Neumann O, Neumann AD, Tian S, Thibodeaux C, Shubhankar S, Müller J, Silva E, Alabastri A, Bishnoi SW, Nordlander P, Halas NJ. Combining solar steam processing and solar distillation for fully off-grid production of cellulosic bioethanol. ACS Energy Letters. 2017 Jan 13;2(1):8-13.
  7. Dodić S, Popov S, Dodić J, Ranković J, Zavargo Z, Mučibabić RJ. Bioethanol production from thick juice as intermediate of sugar beet processing. Biomass and Bioenergy. 2009 May 1;33(5):822-7.
  8. Sulaiman AZ, Ajit A, Yunus RM, Chisti Y. Ultrasound-assisted fermentation enhances bioethanol productivity. Biochemical Engineering Journal. 2011 May 15;54(3):141-50.
  9. Klein M, Pulidindi IN, Perkas N, Meltzer-Mats E, Gruzman A, Gedanken A. Direct production of glucose from glycogen under microwave irradiation. RSC advances. 2012;2(18):7262-7.
  10. Masoomi-Godarzi S, Khodadadi AA, Vesali-Naseh M, Mortazavi Y. Highly stable and selective non-enzymatic glucose biosensor using carbon nanotubes decorated by Fe3O4 nanoparticles. Journal of The Electrochemical Society. 2014 Jan 1;161(1):B19-25.
  11. Dalena F, Senatore A, Iulianelli A, Di Paola L, Basile M, Basile A. Ethanol from biomass: future and perspectives. InEthanol 2019 Jan 1 (pp. 25-59). Elsevier.
  12. Chun Y, He YG, Zhu JH. Microwave-assisted synthesis of dimethyl carbonate. Reaction Kinetics and Catalysis Letters. 2001 Sep;74(1):23-7.
  13. Alvizo-Baez CA, Terrazas-Armendariz LD, Padilla CR, Alcocer-Gonzalez JM. Carbon Dots as Antimicrobial and Antiviral Nanomaterials and Drug Delivery Applications. Biomed. J. Sci. Tech. Res.. 2022;41(4):3928-31.

 

Regular Issue Subscription Original Research
Volume 13
Issue 02
Received 15/05/2026
Accepted 25/05/2026
Published 10/06/2026
Publication Time 26 Days
9

Login


My IP

PlumX Metrics