Electrosynthesis of H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> Promoted by π–π Interaction on a Metal‐Free Carbon Catalyst
Jiating Qu, Guifa Long, Lin Luo, Yang Yang, Wenjun Fan, Fuxiang Zhang
Abstract
Abstract The synthesis of hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) through electrocatalytic oxygen reduction reaction is an ideal alternative to the current energy‐intensive anthraquinone process, but developing cost‐effective and high‐efficiency electrocatalysts is still challenging. Herein, a metal‐free graphitic carbon nitride/carbon nanotube (g‐C 3 N 4 /CNT) hybrid catalyst can enhance H 2 O 2 production via π–π interaction is reported, achieving almost unity (97%) H 2 O 2 production at 0.57 V with high selectivity of over 92% across the wide potential range from 0.6 to 0 V. Other carbon materials with weak interaction with g‐C 3 N 4 , such as acetylene black and super P, show markedly weakened H 2 O 2 production, indicating the importance of π–π interaction. Electron transfer kinetic analysis combined with density functional theory calculations indicates that the synergistic effect between g‐C 3 N 4 and CNT enhances electron transfer and O 2 activation between g‐C 3 N 4 and CNT, leading to enhanced H 2 O 2 production performance. This work provides a complementary approach for H 2 O 2 production from oxygen reduction besides introducing oxygenated groups or heteroatom doping into carbon materials.