Efficient Synthesis of H₂O₂ on B₂O₃/F-Doped Carbon Nanomaterials for Applications in Green Electrocatalysis

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is predominantly produced via the anthraquinone process, which suffers from inherent drawbacks, such as complex operational procedures and environmental pollution. In contrast, the two-electron oxygen reduction reaction (2e ORR) for H2O2 synthesis has garnered significant attention due to its eco-friendly nature and sustainable potential. In this study, an efficient nonmetal electrocatalyst, B2O3/F-CNT-h, for H2O2 synthesis is developed. S/F/P-doped carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are first synthesized via hydrothermal synthesis and pyrolysis methods. Among them, the F-doped CNTs prepared through hydrothermal synthesis (F-CNT-h) exhibit superior 2e ORR performance in alkaline media. B2O3/F-CNT-h is then formed by annealing F-CNT-h with H3BO3 to improve the H2O2 synthesis. Electrochemical evaluations in 0.1 M KOH reveal that the optimized B2O3/F-CNT-h-700 achieves a H2O2 selectivity (H2O2%) of 92% within the potential range of 0.2–0.7 V (vs RHE), accompanied by an electron transfer number (n) of 2.2 and a Faradaic efficiency (FE%) of 87.7%. This work establishes a green catalytic strategy for 2e ORR electrocatalysts, enabling industrial-grade H2O2 electrosynthesis in environmental remediation and medical-grade disinfection.