CO2-derived edge-boron-doped hierarchical porous carbon catalysts for highly effective electrochemical H2O2 production

Electrochemical hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) synthesis via the two-electron oxygen reduction reaction (2e(-) ORR) is considered a promising alternative to the anthraquinone process due to its eco-friendliness and on-site production. Recently, although B-doped carbon (BC) has been suggested as a promising 2e(-) ORR catalyst, the question of whether BC can further improve catalytic activity by tuning the doping configuration and site still remains unanswered. This work demonstrates CO2-derived edge-B-doped porous carbon (E-BPC) for highly effective electrochemical H2O2 production. Herein, it is revealed that the oxygenated B-doping configurations (BCO2 and BC2O) at edge sites are responsible for enhanced 2e(-) ORR activity and stability. Outstanding mass activity (54.7 A g(-1) at 0.65 V vs. RHE) is demonstrated with the highest high production rate in a flow reactor among the reported studies, of 24.3 mol g(cat)(-1) h(-1). The faradaic efficiency of the E-BPC was maintained (similar to 82%) for over 100 h without performance degradation.

Automated summary

This study demonstrates that CO2-derived edge-B-doped porous carbon is an effective catalyst for electrochemical H2O2 production, with high activity and stability. The catalyst shows outstanding mass activity and the highest production rate among reported studies, with a faradaic efficiency maintained for over 100 hours.