Selective Oxidation of Hydrogen to Hydrogen Peroxide

The synthesis of hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) using H 2 ‐O 2 was studied at temperatures from -10°C to 25°C and pressures from 0.50 MPa to 2.3 MPa. Active catalysts included platinum group metals attached to hydrophobic carbon, supported on a mixture of hydrophobic and hydrophilic materials. Only palladium catalysts supported on a hydrophobic component were found to be selective towards hydrogen peroxide formation. The ratio of hydrophobic-to-hydrophilic catalyst properties was important in determining the H 2 O 2 yield. The effects of metal particle size and surface area appeared not to be important in determining H 2 O 2 yield. A simple way of characterizing catalyst hydrophobicity is proposed. Test results indicate that higher pressure, lower temperature and the addition of a stabilizer all have a beneficial effect on the final H 2 O 2 concentration.