Refining Metal-Free
Carbon Nanoreactors through Electronic
and Geometric Comodification for Boosted H2O2 Electrosynthesis toward Efficient Water Decontamination
Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) electrosynthesis
using metal-free carbon materials via the 2e– oxygen
reduction pathway has sparked considerable research interest. However,
the scalable preparation of carbon electrocatalysts to achieve satisfactory
H2O2 yield in acidic media remains a grand challenge.
Here, we present the design of a carbon nanoreactor series that integrates
precise O/N codoping alongside well-regulated geometric structures
targeting high-efficiency electrosynthesis of H2O2. Theoretical computations reveal that strategic N/O codoping facilitates
partial electron transfer from C sites to O sites, realizing electronic
rearrangement that optimizes C-site adsorption of *OOH. Concurrently,
the O–O bond in *OOH is strengthened by charge transfer from
antibonding to π-orbitals, stabilizing the O–O bond and
preventing its dissociation. The carbon nanoreactor with a hollow
bowl geometry also facilitates the mass transport of O2 and H2O2, achieving an H2O2 selectivity of 96% in acidic media. Furthermore, a flow cell
integrated with the refined nanoreactor catalyst achieves an impressive
H2O2 production rate of 2942.4 mg L–1 h–1, coupled with stable operation of nearly 80
h, surpassing the state-of-the-art metal-free analogs. The feasibility
of the electro-synthesized H2O2 is further demonstrated
to be highly efficient in wastewater remediation.