Integrating gas diffusion electrode technology in a 3D-printed cell for an efficient electrochemical production of hydrogen peroxide

This work reports the performance of a 3D printed electrochemical reactor for the production of hydrogen peroxide using carbon-based electrodes. To that purpose, the gas diffusion electrode (GDE) technology was integrated in a double chamber 3D-printed cell with a Nafion membrane as a separator. To evaluate the functionality of the system, a hydraulic characterization was carried out by varying the electrolyte and oxygen flow rates through the GDE. In general terms, the electrochemical activity was shown to be highly dependent on the oxygen flow, obtaining better results at low rates (0.1 NL·min −1 ). The influence of adding ultra-low Pt loadings (0.0125–0.05 mgPt·cm −2 ) was evaluated and compared with a Pt-free GDE. The H 2 O 2 performance and the faradaic efficiency decreased while increasing the Pt loading for all the current densities tested due to cathodic side reactions. On the other hand, the Pt-free GDE exhibited promising results, achieving a production between 15 and 330 mg·h −1 with a maximum of current efficiency of 93.5 %. These values correspond to the highest performance for H 2 O 2 production systems reported in the current literature. • GDE configuration was successfully integrated in a 3D-printed cell to produce H 2 O 2 . • Electrolyte flow rate did not significantly affect the electrochemical performance. • An excess of oxygen flow rate led to a decrease in the activity of the system. • Pt-based GDEs presented the worst results confirming the evolution of side reactions. • Pt-free GDE exhibited the highest H 2 O 2 selectivity (93.5 % current efficiency).