Graphene, an allotrope of carbon in 2D structure, has revolutionised research, development and application in various disciplines since its successful isolation 16 years ago. The single layer of sp²-hybridised carbon atoms brings with it a string of unrivalled characteristics at a fraction of the price of its competitors, including platinum, gold and silver. More recently, there has been a growing trend in the application of graphene in catalysis, either as metal-free catalysts, composite catalysts or as catalyst supports. The unique and extraordinary properties of graphene have rendered it useful in increasing the reactivity and selectivity of some reactions. Owing to its large surface area, outstanding adsorptivity and high compatibility with various functional groups, graphene is able to provide a whole new level of possibilities and flexibilities to design and synthesise fit-for-purpose graphene-based catalysts for specific applications. This review is focussed on the progress, mechanisms and challenges of graphene application in four main reactions, i.e., oxygen reduction reaction, water splitting, water treatment and Fischer–Tropsch synthesis. This review also summarises the advantages and drawbacks of graphene over other commonly used catalysts. Given the inherent nature of graphene, coupled with its recent accelerated advancement in the synthesis and modification processes, it is anticipated that the application of graphene in catalysis will grow exponentially from its current stage of infancy.

石墨烯是2D结构中的碳的同素异形体，自16年前成功隔离以来，已彻底改变了各个学科的研究，开发和应用。sp ²的单层-杂化的碳原子带来了一系列无与伦比的特性，而其价格仅为包括铂，金和银在内的竞争对手的一小部分。最近，石墨烯作为无金属催化剂，复合催化剂或作为催化剂载体在催化中的应用已呈增长趋势。石墨烯的独特和非凡性能使其可用于提高某些反应的反应性和选择性。由于其大的表面积，出色的吸附性以及与各种官能团的高度相容性，石墨烯能够为设计和合成适合特定用途的石墨烯基催化剂提供全新的可能性和灵活性。这次审查的重点是进度，石墨烯在四个主要反应中的应用机理和挑战，即氧还原反应，水分解，水处理和费托合成。这篇综述还总结了石墨烯相对于其他常用催化剂的优缺点。考虑到石墨烯的固有性质，再加上其最近在合成和修饰工艺中的加速发展，可以预见，石墨烯在催化领域的应用将从婴儿期的现阶段开始呈指数增长。