Porous Carbons Derived from Collagen‐Enriched Biomass: Tailored Design, Synthesis, and Application in Electrochemical Energy Storage and Conversion

As byproducts of the meat‐processing industry, nearly 100 million tons of bones, skin, and scales are generated from livestock, poultry, and fish every year and are generally discarded as waste. However, these widespread and low‐cost biomass materials are rich in collagen that is primarily composed of the elements C, N, O, and S. By controlled pyrolysis, these collagen‐enriched biomass materials can be transformed into biomass‐derived porous carbons (BPCs). The ordered biotic structures and specific elemental compositions of the natural precursors endow BPCs with unique nanostructures and heteroatom doping, leading to promising applications in electrochemical energy storage and conversion. In particular, BPCs derived from animal bones and fish scales show novel porosities and morphologies due to their abundance of hydroxyapatite crystals, which act as naturally occurring nanostructured templates. Here, the first review focusing on the design and synthesis of collagen‐derived porous carbons (CPCs) is given. The specific applications of different CPCs in electrochemical energy storage and conversion are also summarized. Finally, the challenges and prospects for the controllable synthesis and large‐scale applications of CPCs are assessed. Collagen‐enriched biomass materials are promising precursors for low‐cost and advanced functional porous carbons. Here, the first review focusing on the design and synthesis of collagen‐derived porous carbons is given, along with a discussion of their specific applications in electrochemical energy storage and conversion systems.