A Review of Recent Advances in Biomass-Derived Porous Carbon Materials for CO2 Capture

With the intensifying global climate crisis and the urgent demand for carbon neutrality, carbon dioxide (CO2) capture technologies have received growing attention as effective strategies for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. Carbon-based porous materials are widely regarded as promising CO2 adsorbents due to their tunable porosity, high surface area, and excellent chemical and thermal stability. Among them, biomass-derived porous carbon materials have received growing attention as sustainable, low-cost alternatives to fossil-based adsorbents. This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent advances in biomass-derived porous carbon materials for CO2 capture, emphasizing the fundamental adsorption mechanisms, including physisorption, chemisorption, and their synergistic effects. Key synthesis pathways, such as pyrolysis and hydrothermal carbonization, are discussed in relation to the development of biomass-derived porous carbon materials. Furthermore, performance-enhancing strategies, such as activation treatments, heteroatom doping, and templating methods, are critically evaluated for their ability to tailor surface properties and improve CO2 uptake capacity. Recent progress in typical biomass-derived porous carbon materials, including active carbon, hierarchical porous carbon, and other innovative carbon materials, is also highlighted. In addition to summarizing recent advances in porous carbon synthesis, this review introduces a unified techno-economic framework that integrates cost, sustainability, and performance-driven benefits. Overall, this review aims to provide systematic insights into the performance of biomass-derived porous carbon materials and to guide the rational design of efficient, sustainable adsorbents for real-world carbon capture applications.