N, O-coupling towards the selectively electrochemical production of H2O2

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) synthesis generally involves the energy-intensive anthraquinone process. Alternatively, electrochemical synthesis provides a green, economical, and environmentally friendly route to prepare H2O2 via the two-electron oxygen reduction reaction, but this process requires efficient catalysts with high activity and selectivity simultaneously. Here, we report an N, O co-doped carbon xerogel-based electrocatalyst (NO-CX) prepared by a simple and economical method. The NO-CX catalyst exhibits a high H2O2 selectivity over 90% in a potential range of 0.2-0.6 V and a high H2O2 production rate of 1410 mmol gcat(-1) h(-1). The density functional theory calculations demonstrate that the coupling effect between N and O can effectively induce the redistribution of surface charge and the edge carbon atom adjacent to an ether group and a graphite nitrogen atom is the active site. This work provides a straightforward and low-cost process to produce highly selective H2O2 catalysts, which is in place for the expansion of electrocatalytic synthesis of useful chemicals. (c) 2022 Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Chinese Chemical Society and Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences.