Dynamic Protonation on an Amino‐Containing Quinone‐Covalent Organic Framework Enables Efficient Neutral Electrosynthesis of H <sub>2</sub> O <sub>2</sub>
The electrosynthesis of hydrogen peroxide (H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub>) in neutral media is highly desirable for sustainable applications but is fundamentally limited by insufficient proton supply. Herein, we report a quinone-based covalent organic framework (Q-COFs) engineered with aromatic amino groups (TfpBQ) enables efficient neutral electrosynthesis of H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub>, achieved by the synergism between Q and amino groups. The amino groups serve as dynamic proton relays, boosting the interfacial proton-coupled electron transfer (I-PCET) kinetics of the Q redox couples, as evidenced by a high apparent rate constant (k<sub>app</sub>) of 1.97×10<sup>4</sup> s<sup>-1</sup>, which is 43% and 92% higher than that of the imine- and amide-containing Q-COFs, respectively. Consequently, TfpBQ achieves a remarkable H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> yield of 19.3 mol g<sup>-1</sup> h<sup>-1</sup> with a Faradaic efficiency (FE) of 95.6% at 120 mA cm<sup>-2</sup> in a neutral electrolyte, while demonstrating exceptional stability during 60-h of continuous operation. Combined experimental and theoretical analyses demonstrate that the dynamic protonation of aromatic amino groups reconstructs the interfacial hydrogen-bond network, enabling a sustained proton supply to the adjacent Q/H<sub>2</sub>Q redox cycle, which in turn optimizes the overall 2e<sup>-</sup> ORR pathway. This work underscores the importance of managing dynamic protonation in electrocatalysts design for reactions occurring in proton-deficient microenvironment.
Authors
- Yannan Liu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7379-3385)
- Daniel Mandler (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2490-1084)
- Guangming Zhan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9485-3458)
- Lijun Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2538-8358)
- Boyu Zhou (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4125-7481)
Institutions
- Shanghai Jiao Tong University (CN)
- Hebrew University of Jerusalem (IL)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Angewandte Chemie International Edition
- Published
- 2026-01-15
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202524876
- Primary Topic
- Covalent Organic Framework Applications
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00