SO-modified porous carbon as a highly active electrocatalyst for efficient H₂O₂ generation.

Area of Science:

• Electrochemistry
• Materials Science
• Catalysis

Background:

• The 2-electron oxygen reduction reaction (2e⁻ ORR) is crucial for producing hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂).
• Developing efficient and selective electrocatalysts for 2e⁻ ORR remains a significant challenge.
• Porous carbon materials offer a versatile platform for catalyst design.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize a novel sulfur-decorated porous carbon electrocatalyst.
• To evaluate its performance in the 2-electron oxygen reduction reaction for H₂O₂ production.
• To elucidate the underlying catalytic mechanisms using theoretical calculations.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of sulfur-decorated porous carbon using UV-curing and pyrolysis.
• Electrochemical characterization of the catalyst's 2e⁻ ORR activity.
• Density-functional theory (DFT) calculations to understand catalytic performance.

Main Results:

• The synthesized SOₓ-porous carbon catalyst demonstrated excellent 2e⁻ ORR activity.
• Achieved high H₂O₂ selectivity of 95.1% at 0.4 V.
• Delivered a high H₂O₂ production rate of 604.2 mmol g_cat⁻¹ h⁻¹.

Conclusions:

• The SOₓ-decorated porous carbon electrocatalyst is highly effective for selective H₂O₂ synthesis.
• The combination of UV-curing and pyrolysis is a viable strategy for catalyst preparation.
• DFT calculations provide insights into the enhanced catalytic performance.