Applications of Iron (Fe, Co, and Ni)‐Group Metal Compound Nanomaterials in Electrocatalytic Upgrading of Biomass and Degradation of Pollutants

The conversion of biomass into valuable fuels and chemicals has advanced rapidly in recent years, with electrocatalytic methods demonstrating significant advantages in this field. The electrocatalytic conversion of biomass-derived organic molecules under relatively mild conditions offers a green and efficient strategy for producing high-value chemicals. In heterogeneous electrocatalysis, catalysts play a crucial role in directly modulating the adsorption and desorption behavior of reactants. Given the diversity of biomass feedstocks, this chapter categorizes them based on functional groups: monoalcohols (e.g., methanol, ethanol, and benzyl alcohol), polyols (e.g., ethylene glycol [EG], glycerol, and glucose), amines, aldehydes, and the biopolymer lignin. Fe-, Co-, and Ni-based catalysts play significant roles in pollutant degradation, with Fe-based catalysts receiving particular attention. Over the past decade, nanotechnology has been increasingly applied to remediate contaminated surface water, groundwater, soil, and sediments, leveraging nanomaterials' high reactivity and large surface-area-to-volume ratio.