Recent advances in non-noble metal catalysts toward N-ethylcarbazole hydrogen storage

N-Ethylcarbazole (NEC) hydrogen storage has garnered significant attention owing to its superior large-scale safe storage of hydrogen. However, the sluggish hydrogenation kinetics of NEC are extremely dependent on catalysts with superior catalytic activity and high selectivity. Numerous research studies have demonstrated that noble metal catalysts present the best catalytic performance in NEC hydrogen storage, but their high cost impedes widespread commercial applications. In contrast, non-noble metal catalysts effectively address the high-cost issue associated with noble metal catalysts. Furthermore, by optimizing the structural design of the catalysts and increasing the density of active sites, their catalytic performance can be significantly enhanced. This approach achieves a better balance between cost-effectiveness and catalytic efficiency. Therefore, this review first summarizes the synthetic methods and typical structures of NEC hydrogenation non-noble metal catalysts. Subsequently, the recent advances and catalytic mechanisms regarding non-noble metal catalysts for hydrogenation are discussed in detail. Finally, through in-depth analysis of potential problems and active exploration of future prospects, we can better guide the relevant research and application work in the future to continuously reach new heights.