Block Copolymer Templating as a Path to Porous Nanostructured Carbons with Highly Accessible Nitrogens for Enhanced (Electro)chemical Performance

The design of carbon materials for improved electrochemical systems should combine the preferential occurrence of pyridinic functionalities and a structure that maximizes their exposure to the surface. The carbonization of nitrogen‐rich polyacrylonitrile (PAN) retains a high level of nitrogen content, with a large percentage of the functionalities taking the form of pyridinic species at the graphene edges. A block copolymer precursor containing PAN and a second thermally sacrificial block can be converted to a nitrogen‐rich carbon material with a mesoporous network mimicking that of the precursor. Here, we highlight the structural advantages of this templating approach and their improvement in several electrochemical systems.