Mechanistic insights into alkali cations stabilizing carbon for acidic and high‐rate electrosynthesis of H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub>
Abstract Electrochemical two‐electron oxygen reduction reaction for H₂O₂ synthesis offers a sustainable alternative to the traditional anthraquinone. Carbon catalysts exhibit superior selectivity and industrial compatibility compared to metal‐based systems. However, their instability under acidic industrial current densities remains a challenge. While cations are known to enhance stability, their mechanistic role is poorly understood. We reveal that K + stabilizes oxidized carbon sites via the formation of interfacial KOC bonding. This bonding effectively mitigates deactivation and suppresses the undesired transition from the target H₂O₂ to the H₂O. To systematically probe this mechanism, we developed a custom rotating gas diffusion electrode system. This platform enabled stable measurements at industrial current densities. Complementarily, Raman spectroscopy and in situ near‐ambient‐pressure x‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses corroborated the critical role of KOC interactions in preserving catalyst durability. Our work elucidates a cation‐mediated stabilization mechanism, advancing the design of a test platform for scalable H₂O₂ electrosynthesis.
Authors
- Xiaoxuan Sun (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4909-1295)
- Mingchuan Luo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9772-2154)
- Wen‐Bo Liu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2687-557X)
- Yongzhi Zhao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2509-8089)
- Jianmei Lu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2451-7154)
- Yong‐Yan Zhao
- Junyi Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5410-9798)
- Peng Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9505-3858)
- Yilin Zhao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-3011-2193)
- Zehong Yin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3107-0031)
- Nannan Liang
Institutions
- Peking University (CN)
- Harbin Institute of Technology (CN)
- Heilongjiang Institute of Technology (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- AIChE Journal
- Published
- 2025-08-17
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/aic.70015
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- Electrocatalysts for Energy Conversion
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.36
Funders
- National Natural Science Foundation of China
- China Postdoctoral Science Foundation
- National Key Research and Development Program of China