Metal-supported carbon-based materials: opportunities and challenges in the synthesis of valuable products

Carbon materials such as activated carbons and graphitic materials and nanomaterials have been used for decades in heterogeneous catalysis as catalyst supports. The physical and chemical properties of these materials, such as their tunable porosity and surface chemistry, allow the anchoring and dispersion of the active phases, and make them suitable for application in many catalytic green processes. In this review, we summarize relevant applications and limitations of metal-supported carbons and nanocarbons in the synthesis of valuable products and the recent advances in this field.