New Insights into N-Doped Porous Carbons as Both Heterogeneous Catalysts and Catalyst Supports: Opportunities for the Catalytic Synthesis of Valuable Compounds

Among the vast class of porous carbon materials, N-doped porous carbons have emerged as promising materials in catalysis due to their unique properties. The introduction of nitrogen into the carbonaceous matrix can lead to the creation of new sites on the carbon surface, often associated with pyridinic or pyrrolic nitrogen functionalities, which can facilitate various catalytic reactions with increased selectivity. Furthermore, the presence of N dopants exerts a significant influence on the properties of the supported metal or metal oxide nanoparticles, including the metal dispersion, interactions between the metal and support, and stability of the metal nanoparticles. These effects play a crucial role in enhancing the catalytic performance of the N-doped carbon-supported catalysts. Thus, N-doped carbons and metals supported on N-doped carbons have been revealed to be interesting heterogeneous catalysts for relevant synthesis processes of valuable compounds. This review presents a concise overview of various methods employed to produce N-doped porous carbons with distinct structures, starting from diverse precursors, and showcases their potential in various catalytic processes, particularly in fine chemical synthesis.