Unlocking the Potential of Mn‐based Catalyst for Durable Two‐electron Oxygen Reduction in Acid at High Current Densities
Abstract Electrochemical synthesis of H 2 O 2 by two‐electron oxygen reduction (2e − ORR) often shows limited stability at high current densities in acidic media. Mn‐based catalysts have been demonstrated highly stable for four‐electron ORR thanks to their intrinsically low rate constant for Fenton‐like reactions. However, their activity toward acidic 2e − ORR remains low because of too strong adsorption to *OOH. Here, we report a diatomic Mn catalyst with high‐spin Mn II centers to enable high onset potential (0.69 V), high selectivity (>90%), and outstanding stability (240 h under 300 mA cm −2 ) toward H 2 O 2 electrosynthesis in acid. Theoretical calculations and in situ spectroscopies reveal that the diatomic Mn sites have downshifted d ‐band center and thus weakened adsorption strength for *OOH. Moreover, the inertia of the Mn II sites toward the troublesome Fenton‐like reactions leads to the long‐term stability at high current densities. We further demonstrate the functionalization of waste polyethylene (PE) using the high‐concentration H 2 O 2 as produced, which provides a sustainable route toward on‐site upcycling of plastic waste.
Authors
- Xin Tang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0979-5455)
- Zhiqiang Niu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9122-4880)
- Yanfen Wu
- Kaiqi Nie (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1150-8024)
- Zhengwen Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0007-4486-0386)
- Xiaohang Sun (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-3142-6192)
- Mingze Sun (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0027-0003)
- Yu‐Xiao Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9112-9947)
- Jun He (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1671-2283)
- Jinjie Fang
- Zhongbin Zhuang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7187-1266)
- Liang Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3446-3172)
- Yuqi Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6230-0330)
- Kai Chen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1892-8195)
- Helai Huang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0006-0633-5110)
- Haiyong Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0787-3678)
- Qikun Hu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1607-420X)
- Yizhen Che
Institutions
- Harbin Institute of Technology (CN)
- Inner Mongolia University (CN)
- State Key Laboratory of Vehicle NVH and Safety Technology (CN)
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering (CN)
- Beijing University of Chemical Technology (CN)
- Tsinghua University (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Angewandte Chemie
- Published
- 2025-06-11
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/ange.202511844
- Citations
- 2
- Primary Topic
- Electrocatalysts for Energy Conversion
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.73
Funders
- National Natural Science Foundation of China
- Natural Science Foundation of Beijing Municipality