Abstract
Activated carbons (ACs) from biomass sources have attracted attention due to their superior properties including, easy preparation, abundant raw materials, ready availability, low cost, low mass density, high specific surface area and micropore volume, fast and reversible kinetics, structural diversity, and sustainable regeneration. Due to their tunable aspects, bio-derived ACs are among the most promising materials for the storage of hydrogen. In this contribution, the comparative evaluation of various carbon materials prepared from biomass sources for hydrogen storage applications is aimed. To carry out this goal, literature related to ACs having different chemical nature from a variety of precursors using various preparation methodology are compiled, and compared in terms of their characterization to correlate the surface characteristics with their hydrogen storage performances, focusing on the effects of the type of precursors/activating agents, and major affecting operational variables. An overview on the preparation, characterization, and analysis methods, hydrogen storage performances of biosorbents from different kinds of biomass, perspectives, and challenges are presented.