Carbon-Based Catalysts for Clean Environmental Remediation

Air pollution, owing to gaseous pollutants, especially NOx, VOCs (toluene), acidic gas (H₂S), and elemental mercury (Hg⁰), and the resulting climate issues have become major concerns. Carbon-based catalysts play a key role in removing toxic gases through selective catalytic reduction (SCR), oxidation, and adsorption processes. Catalyst selection has a crucial effect on the final toxic gas removal performance of catalyst. Herein, strategies for modifying carbon-based catalysts through physical or chemical treatment/activation, metal oxide doping, and heteroatom doping are systematically reviewed. In addition, the effects of the carbonization temperature, pore structure, heteroatom dopants, and oxidizing agents on the surface area, pore structure, and catalytic effects of carbon-based catalysts are analyzed and discussed. Finally, the further direction and need for developing carbon-based catalysts for environmental remediation is prospected.