Polymer-Derived N/S-Doped Carbons for Electrochemical Systems: A Mini-Review

Abstract

Against the backdrop of the global energy crisis and environmental pollution, efficient and sustainable electrochemical energy storage materials have attracted considerable attention. Carbon materials are widely used due to their superior conductivity and chemical stability; however, they face limitations such as poor surface wettability, low specific capacitance, and insufficient active sites. In recent years, heteroatom doping—especially the co-doping of nitrogen (N) and sulfur (S)—has become a research hotspot, utilizing synergistic effects to significantly enhance the electrochemical performance of carbon materials. Despite progress in the synthesis, performance optimization, and mechanism study of N/S co-doped carbon materials, challenges remain, including complex synthesis methods, unclear doping mechanisms, and scalability issues for industrial production. This review systematically summarizes synthesis strategies (e.g., template-assisted methods, direct carbonization) for polymer-derived N/S co-doped carbon materials, critically analyzing their advantages and limitations. Furthermore, it elucidates the mechanistic impact of N/S co-doping on electrochemical properties, focusing on electron redistribution and active site modulation. Additionally, the application of density functional theory (DFT)-based computational simulations in material design is discussed, revealing the electronic structure modifications induced by N/S co-doping. The work aims to provide theoretical insights and experimental guidelines for advancing N/S co-doped carbon materials in electrochemical energy storage applications.