Advances in Synthesis and Applications of Waste-Derived Activated Porous Carbon: A Review for Energy Storage and Environmental Remediation Swagat Kumar Purohit, Sujoy Bandyopadhyay, Hyosung Choi, Arpan Kumar Nayak Chemistryselect, 2026 Rapid depletion of fossil energy, ever increasing environmental pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions promote researchers to utilize available waste materials. Activated carbon evolved from wastes had been broadly used to fulfil future energy demands and environmental remediation. The present review aims to demonstrate various synthesis methods including pyrolysis, hydrothermal assisted pyrolysis, chemical vapor deposition, and laser beam irradiation to synthesize activated porous carbon utilizing natural and artificial wastes. Further, we highlight the types of naturals wastes, such as plant‐and animal‐based wastes and artificial wastes, that can be used in energy storage devices and environmental remediation applications. Energy storage devices such as supercapacitors and batteries and environmental remediation applications including purifying agents, precious metal recovery, and CO 2 capture are included. Finally, current advances, challenges, and future perspectives on waste‐derived porous carbons are summarized. This review will provide researchers an in‐depth understanding of waste to wealth over a large scope of disciplines.
Shape Memory Polymers: An Introduction Pranjyan Dash, Pradeep Kumar Panda, Smruti Pallabi Parhi, Pramila Kumari Misra, Arpan Kumar Nayak, et al. Sustainability of Alloys and Polymers of Shape Memory Materials, 2026
Surface Modulation, Optics, and Electrochemical Hydrogen Evolution Studies on CdS-Ag2S Superlattice Heterostructures Jyotsna Chaturvedi, Akkarakkaran Thayyil Muhammed Munthasir, Laxmi Narayan Tripathi, Masuda U., Balaji R. Jagirdar, et al. Small, 2026 Semiconductor superlattice heterostructures with periodic electronic states hold promise for catalysis, photodetectors, and electronic devices. CdS‐based superlattice quantum dots are particularly attractive due to exciton dynamics that enhance electron transport across heterogeneous energy states. In this study, CdS‐Ag 2 S@octadecyl amine (ODA) random superlattices quantum dots were formed via ligand‐mediated decomposition of [(PPh 3 ) 2 Ag(SCOPh)] and [Cd(SCOPh) 2 ] complexes. Conversely, CdS‐Ag 2 S@dodecane thiol (DDT) ordered nanorod superlattices were produced through thiol‐mediated decomposition. High‐resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy and energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy confirmed the periodic interfaces. Photoluminescence (PL) studies of CdS‐Ag 2 S@ODA superlattices showed dual‐band emissions, with fast band‐edge recombination (τ av = 1.37 ± 0.03 ns) and delayed non‐radiative decay (54.44–99.31 µs) from surface trap states. In contrast, CdS‐Ag 2 S@DDT nanorods exhibited a majority charge carrier recombination with band‐edge emission lifetimes (1.63–1.74 ns). Notably, CdS‐Ag 2 S@DDT nanorod superlattices demonstrated enhanced electrochemical hydrogen evolution in neutral media, outperforming DDT/ODA‐capped type‐I/II heterostructures. They showed a slightly higher HER overpotential under illumination (1.572 V) than in the dark (1.38 V) at a current density of 10 mA cm −2 , consistent with the metallic character of Ag 2 S and interfacial charge accumulation. However, ODA lowers atomic packing and disordered interfacial coupling, limiting HER activity with an overpotential of 1.636 V in CdS–Ag 2 S@ODA superlattices.
Empowering Tri-Functional Palladium's Catalytic Activity and Durability in Electrocatalytic Formic Acid Oxidation Reaction via Innovative Self-Caging and Alloying Strategies Chan‐Woo Lee, Sun Young Jung, Jeong Ho Ryu, Gyeom Seong Jeon, Ashish Gaur, et al. Advanced Science, 2024 Direct formic acid fuel cells (DFAFCs) stand out for portable electronic devices owing to their ease of handling, abundant fuel availability, and high theoretical open circuit potential. However, the practical application of DFAFCs is hindered by the unsatisfactory performance of electrocatalysts for the sluggish anodic formic acid oxidation reaction (FAOR). Palladium (Pd) based nanomaterials have shown promise for FAOR due to their highly selective reaction mechanism, but maintaining high electrocatalytic durability remains challenging. In this study, a novel Pd‐based electrocatalyst (UiO‐Pd‐E) is reported with exceptional durability and activity for FAOR, which can be attributed to the Pd nanoparticles encapsulated within a carbon framework where concurrent chemical alloying of Pd and Zr occurs. Further, the UiO‐Pd‐E demonstrates noteworthy multifunctionality in various electrochemical reactions including electrocatalytic ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in addition to the FAOR, highlighting its practical potentials.
Current Status, Challenges, and Prospects of High‐Entropy Materials SK Purohit, AK Mishra, DK Pradhan, AK Nayak High‐Entropy Materials for Energy Storage Devices, 427-444 , 2026 2026
Recent Advancements for High‐Entropy Materials for the Dielectric Capacitor SS Swain, SC Sahu, AK Nayak, RK Sahoo High‐Entropy Materials for Energy Storage Devices, 101-128 , 2026 2026
Noble Metal‐Doped High‐Entropy Materials for Energy Storage Applications R Sahoo, S Mohapatra, SK Purohit, AK Nayak High‐Entropy Materials for Energy Storage Devices, 347-375 , 2026 2026
High-Entropy Materials for Energy Storage Devices CT Hsieh, PK Panda, AK Nayak John Wiley & Sons , 2026 2026
Advances in Synthesis and Applications of Waste‐Derived Activated Porous Carbon: A Review for Energy Storage and Environmental Remediation SK Purohit, S Bandyopadhyay, H Choi, AK Nayak ChemistrySelect 11 (18), e73398 , 2026 2026
Enhancing Long-Term Cyclic Stability of Solid-State Lithium Batteries Using Ternary NCM811 Cathodes and Dual-Ceramic Electrolytes PK Panda, PS Liao, P Dash, AK Nayak, S Gu, CT Hsieh Ceramics International , 2026 2026 Citations: 1
Surface Modulation, Optics, and Electrochemical Hydrogen Evolution Studies on CdS‐Ag2S Superlattice Heterostructures J Chaturvedi, ATM Munthasir, LN Tripathi, M U, BR Jagirdar, P Thilagar, ... Small, e73427 , 2026 2026
Microwave-Assisted Solvothermal Engineering of the W18O49–Ag/Pt Nanowire Nanocomposite for a Solid-State Asymmetric Supercapacitor AK Nayak, S Rudra, D Pradhan ACS Applied Engineering Materials 4 (2), 448–463 , 2026 2026
Shape Memory Polymers: An Introduction P Dash, PK Panda, SP Parhi, PK Misra, AK Nayak, CT Hsieh Sustainability of Alloys and Polymers of Shape Memory Materials, 263-274 , 2026 2026
Robust Superhydrophobic magnetic oil sorbent pillow for oil spill clean-ups AKN Manoj Patowary , Himani Kalita Journal of Water Process Engineering 79 (2214-7144), 109022 , 2025 2025 Citations: 1
S-doped amorphous multi-metal borophosphates for efficient alkaline seawater oxidation with a high corrosion resistance MG Kim, A Gaur, MS Cho, AK Nayak, S Mhin, HS Han Applied Surface Science 679, 161222 , 2025 2025 Citations: 9
Empowering Tri‐Functional Palladium's Catalytic Activity and Durability in Electrocatalytic Formic Acid Oxidation Reaction via Innovative Self‐Caging and Alloying Strategies CW Lee, SY Jung, JH Ryu, GS Jeon, A Gaur, MS Cho, G Ali, M Kim, ... Advanced Science 11 (46), 2405725 , 2024 2024 Citations: 12
Empowering Tri‐Functional Palladium's Catalytic Activity and Durability in Electrocatalytic Formic Acid Oxidation Reaction via Innovative Self‐Caging and Alloying Strategies … CW Lee, SY Jung, JH Ryu, GS Jeon, A Gaur, MS Cho, G Ali, M Kim, ... Advanced Science 11 (46), 2470283 , 2024 2024
Smart micro-and nanomaterials for drug delivery A Behera, AK Nayak, RK Mohapatra, AA Rabaan CRC Press , 2024 2024 Citations: 9
Smart micro-and nanomaterials for pharmaceutical applications A Behera, AK Nayak, RK Mohapatra, AA Rabaan CRC Press , 2024 2024 Citations: 12
Excellent electrochemical performance of N and Mn doped NiCo 2 O 4 functional nanostructures: an effective approach for symmetric supercapacitor application A Sasmal, AK Nayak, ME Khan, W Ali, SK Ali, AH Bashiri Physica Scripta 99 (8), 085919 , 2024 2024 Citations: 10
Eco-friendly preparation of nitrogen-doped porous carbon materials for enhanced solid-state supercapacitor device M Jalalah, AK Nayak, FA Harraz Diamond and Related Materials 147, 111264 , 2024 2024 Citations: 17
Smart Nano-Carriers and Their Advancements PK Sahoo, AK Nayak Smart Micro-and Nanomaterials for Pharmaceutical Applications, 239-260 , 2024 2024
Nitrogen and oxygen self-doped hierarchical porous carbon nanosheets derived from turmeric leaves for high-performance supercapacitor R Chakraborty, A Sharma, PK Maji, S Rudra, AK Nayak, PN Chatterjee, ... Inorganica Chimica Acta 567, 122056 , 2024 2024 Citations: 17
MOST CITED SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS
Recent advancement of biomass-derived porous carbon based materials for energy and environmental remediation applications R Chakraborty, K Vilya, M Pradhan, AK Nayak Journal of Materials Chemistry A 10 (13), 6965-7005 , 2022 2022 Citations: 292
Hierarchical nanostructured WO 3–SnO 2 for selective sensing of volatile organic compounds AK Nayak, R Ghosh, S Santra, PK Guha, D Pradhan Nanoscale 7 (29), 12460-12473 , 2015 2015 Citations: 252
High Performance Solid-State Asymmetric Supercapacitor using Green Synthesized Graphene–WO 3 Nanowires Nanocomposite AK Nayak, AK Das, D Pradhan ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering 5 (11), 10128-10138 , 2017 2017 Citations: 193
Mn incorporated MoS2 nanoflowers: A high performance electrode material for symmetric supercapacitor SS Singha, S Rudra, S Mondal, M Pradhan, AK Nayak, B Satpati, P Pal, ... Electrochimica Acta 338, 135815 , 2020 2020 Citations: 116
Surface reconstruction of Ni–Fe layered double hydroxide inducing chloride ion blocking materials for outstanding overall seawater splitting E Enkhtuvshin, S Yeo, H Choi, KM Kim, BS An, S Biswas, Y Lee, ... Advanced Functional Materials 33 (22), 2214069 , 2023 2023 Citations: 104
Enhanced Ammonia Sensing at Room Temperature with Reduced Graphene Oxide/Tin Oxide Hybrid Film R Ghosh, AK Nayak, S Santra, D Pradhan, PK Guha RSC Advances 5, 50165-50173 , 2015 2015 Citations: 103
Microwave-assisted solvothermal synthesis of cupric oxide nanostructures for high-performance supercapacitor AK Mishra, AK Nayak, AK Das, D Pradhan The Journal of Physical Chemistry C 122 (21), 11249-11261 , 2018 2018 Citations: 101
Highly active tungsten oxide nanoplate electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction in acidic and near neutral electrolytes AK Nayak, M Verma, Y Sohn, PA Deshpande, D Pradhan ACS omega 2 (10), 7039-7047 , 2017 2017 Citations: 98
Electrochemical supercapacitor application of CoFe2O4 nanoparticles decorated over graphitic carbon nitride B Rani, AK Nayak, NK Sahu Diamond and Related Materials 120, 108671 , 2021 2021 Citations: 90
Current trends of iridium‐based catalysts for oxygen evolution reaction in acidic water electrolysis NTT Thao, JU Jang, AK Nayak, HS Han Small Science 4 (1), 2300109 , 2024 2024 Citations: 89
Facile Green Synthesis of WO 3 ·H 2 O Nanoplates and WO 3 Nanowires with Enhanced Photoelectrochemical Performance AK Nayak, Y Sohn, D Pradhan Crystal Growth & Design 17 (9), 4949-4957 , 2017 2017 Citations: 86
Crystal phase and size-controlled synthesis of tungsten trioxide hydrate nanoplates at room temperature: enhanced Cr (VI) photoreduction and methylene blue adsorption properties AK Nayak, S Lee, YI Choi, HJ Yoon, Y Sohn, D Pradhan ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering 5 (3), 2741-2750 , 2017 2017 Citations: 84
Improvement of power generation of microbial fuel cell by integrating tungsten oxide electrocatalyst with pure or mixed culture biocatalysts JL Varanasi, AK Nayak, Y Sohn, D Pradhan, D Das Electrochimica Acta 199, 154-163 , 2016 2016 Citations: 83
Recent advance on fundamental properties and synthesis of barium zirconate for proton conducting ceramic fuel cell AK Nayak, A Sasmal Journal of Cleaner Production 386, 135827 , 2023 2023 Citations: 76
Nitrogen-enriched nanoporous polytriazine for high-performance supercapacitor application M Chaudhary, AK Nayak, R Muhammad, D Pradhan, P Mohanty ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering 6 (5), 5895-5902 , 2018 2018 Citations: 75
High-performance supercapacitor based on self-heteroatom-doped porous carbon electrodes fabricated from Mikania micrantha M Jalalah, HS Han, AK Nayak, FA Harraz Advanced Composites and Hybrid Materials 7 (1), 20 , 2024 2024 Citations: 73
Facile single phase synthesis of Sr, Co co-doped BiFeO3 nanoparticles for boosting photocatalytic and magnetic properties A Puhan, B Bhushan, S Satpathy, SS Meena, AK Nayak, D Rout Applied Surface Science 493, 593-604 , 2019 2019 Citations: 73
Synthesis of In 2 S 3 microspheres using a template-free and surfactant-less hydrothermal process and their visible light photocatalysis AK Nayak, S Lee, Y Sohn, D Pradhan CrystEngComm 16 (34), 8064-8072 , 2014 2014 Citations: 73
Morphology-dependent solvothermal synthesis of spinel NiCo2O4 nanostructures for enhanced energy storage device application A Sasmal, AK Nayak Journal of Energy Storage 58, 106342 , 2023 2023 Citations: 68
VS 2: an efficient catalyst for an electrochemical hydrogen evolution reaction in an acidic medium JK Das, AK Samantara, AK Nayak, D Pradhan, JN Behera Dalton Transactions 47 (39), 13792-13799 , 2018 2018 Citations: 61
