Rational design, synthesis, and applications of carbon-assisted dispersive Ni-based composites

Abstract

The unique structural characteristics of carbon-assisted metallic nickel-based composites endow them with intriguing physicochemical properties and wide applications, especially for catalysis and protein adsorption. In this minireview, we review the recent developments in the rational design and engineering of various kinds of nickel-based composites with well-designed architectures, structural/compositional complexity, controllable morphologies, and boosted properties for catalysis of 4-nitrophenol reduction and histidine-rich protein adsorption. Based on the insights, we conclude some prospects on critical challenges and possible future research directions in this field. Moreover, it is anticipated that further innovative studies on the structural and compositional design of functional metallic nickel-based composites for other applications such as energy storage can be stimulated.