Insights into Hydrodynamic and Operational Conditions for Scalable Hydrogen Peroxide Electrosynthesis Applications

This study focuses on the development and application of an electrochemical flow reactor (EFR) based on a gas diffusion electrode (GDE) for in situ hydrogen peroxide production via the oxygen reduction reaction. Existing literature lacks comprehensive investigations into GDE-based EFR hydro-dynamics and their correlation with electrochemical effects. To help fi l l this gap in the literature, response surface methodology (RSM) was employed in the present study in order to analyze the hydrodynamic behavior of a GDE-based EFR . The study used the flow rate and interelectrode gap as RSM variables for the analysis of hydrodynamic behavior. Residence time distribution (RTD) was used to assess hydraulic effects, and the results were compared with H2O2 kinetics, where relevant insights were obtained relative to hydraulic and electrochemical effects in the system. The findings of the study point to the importance of hydrodynamic residence time in the EFR and its impact on H2O2 production. Through RSM analysis, the electrochemical conditions (energy consumption, applied current, and oxygen efficiency) of the EFR were evaluated using variables such as current density, O-2 flow rate, and conductivity. The resulting regression equation accurately predicted in situ H2O2 production cost, which was found to align well w i t h the experimental results. The study compared a single-pass system with a common recirculating system in EFRs, where the former exhibited a 32.4% increase in H2O2 electrogeneration efficiency compared to the latter. In summary, this study provides valuable insights into GDE-based EFR hydrodynamics through RSM-based modulation of the operating conditions. The findings of this study help in the scaling of EFR technology and the improvement of H2O2 production efficiency.