Maximizing Thiophene-Sulfur Functional Groups in Carbon Catalysts for Highly Selective H₂O₂ Electrosynthesis

Carbon materials are promising electrocatalysts for renewable energy devices because of their abundant availability, tunability, and structural durability in harsh electrochemical environments. Future large-scale applications require the construction of carbon materials with a clear doping configuration and high dopant loading, but this is particularly challenging. In this work, we reported a molecular weaving strategy using molecules with well-defined thiophene-sulfur (S) configuration as precursors to synthesize thiophene-S-doped carbon with a high S doping mass up to 14 wt % for hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) electrosynthesis. We theoretically and experimentally showed that the as-synthesized thiophene-S-doped carbon catalyst exhibited a selectivity exceeding 90% for H2O2 production. More significantly, we assembled a thiophene-S-doped carbon-based zinc-air battery for simultaneous H2O2 and power generation, which demonstrated a H2O2 production rate of 117.7 +/- 0.2 mgmg(Cat)(-1)h(-1) and a peak power density of 82.7 +/- 0.8 mW cm(-2). This work extends the practical application potential of carbon-based materials in future energy conversion and storage devices.