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Refining Metal-Free Carbon Nanoreactors through Electronic and Geometric Comodification for Boosted H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> Electrosynthesis toward Efficient Water Decontamination

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posted on 2024-11-30, 04:29 authored by Yifei Wang, Beibei Li, Guangheng Chen, Yuhan Wu, Meng Tian, Yongzhen Peng, Shixue Dou, Laiquan Li, Jingyu Sun
Hydrogen peroxide (H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub>) electrosynthesis using metal-free carbon materials via the 2e<sup>–</sup> oxygen reduction pathway has sparked considerable research interest. However, the scalable preparation of carbon electrocatalysts to achieve satisfactory H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> 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 H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub>. 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 O<sub>2</sub> and H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub>, achieving an H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> selectivity of 96% in acidic media. Furthermore, a flow cell integrated with the refined nanoreactor catalyst achieves an impressive H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> production rate of 2942.4 mg L<sup>–1</sup> h<sup>–1</sup>, coupled with stable operation of nearly 80 h, surpassing the state-of-the-art metal-free analogs. The feasibility of the electro-synthesized H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> is further demonstrated to be highly efficient in wastewater remediation.

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