CHAPTER 2: Non-covalent Methodologies for the Preparation of Metal-free Nanocarbons for Catalysis

Catalysis, as a general topic, concerns a wide range of chemical processes, which may be in either homogeneous or heterogeneous modes of reaction. A major goal in related research involves the substitution of rare and expensive metal nanoparticle catalysts with alternative nanostructured materials, based on abundant elements. To this end, a lot of effort has been devoted to the development of catalytic systems based on various carbon allotropic forms. The synthesis of multifunctional nanocarbon-based catalysts is an emerging field of nanotechnology, due to the unique properties of these nanostructured materials. Specifically, their large specific surface area, high conductivity, and appreciable (electro)catalytic properties make them ideal candidates as functional components in various schemes of chemical energy transformation. In this chapter, we will describe the synthetic methodologies and catalytic applications of representative metal-free carbon-based assemblies. The allotropic forms discussed are graphene, fullerenes, carbon nanotubes, nanodiamonds, carbon nanohorns and carbon quantum dots.