Charge transfer engineering of carbon-coated porous ZnO to enhance oxygen reduction for high-efficiency piezocatalytic H₂O₂ production

Piezocatalysis holds remarkable potential for enabling eco-friendly and sustainable H₂O₂ production. In this study, a porous nanosheet-structured ZnO was synthesized <i>via</i> morphological engineering, demonstrating an enhanced surface area and superior stress responsiveness. Furthermore, a carbon layer derived from sodium lignosulfonate was introduced to construct a series of porous C/ZnO composites. The optimized catalyst effectively promotes the oxygen reduction reaction pathway, achieving a high H₂O₂ production rate of 4604.0 μmol g^-1 h^-1 in pure water without any cocatalysts or sacrificial agents. Combined experimental results and characterization analyses reveal that the carbon layer facilitates interfacial electron transfer and advances oxygen adsorption and activation, thereby substantially boosting catalytic performance. This work offers meaningful insights and a strategic reference for the development of advanced multifunction piezocatalytic systems.