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Updated: Jan 22, 2026

Synthesis and Performance Characterizations of Transition Metal Single Atom Catalyst for Electrochemical CO2 Reduction
Published on: April 10, 2018
Minimizing H2O2 Loss in Industrial Electrosynthesis via Asymmetric Main-Group Sn Single-Atom Catalysts
Peng Xu1, Hao-Tong Li1, Chao-Hai Gu1
1State Key Laboratory of Advanced Environmental Technology, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230026, P.R. China.
None:
The electrosynthesis of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) via the two-electron oxygen reduction reaction offers an appealing and sustainable route for on-site H2O2 production. However, its broader applicability is constrained by subpar yields, primarily resulting from insufficient selectivity and the occurrence of electrochemical and/or chemical decomposition of H2O2. Herein, we demonstrate that asymmetric N/S co-coordinated main-group Sn sites can effectively stabilize oxygen intermediates and rapidly desorb the generated H2O2, thereby enhancing 2e- ORR pathway selectivity while suppressing undesirable H2O2 decomposition reactions. At an industrially relevant current density of 300 mA cm-2, the main-group catalyst achieves an exceptional H2O2 faradaic efficiency of 93%. When scaled to an industrial sized area of 100 cm2, the pilot reactor delivers an impressive H2O2 production rate of 353.5 mmol h-1 at 20 A. In situ characterizations and theoretical simulations reveal that the main-group Sn sites exhibit inertness toward activation of H2O2, thereby mitigating H2O2 loss in electrosynthesis. The asymmetric N/S-coordination enhances electron transfer between the Sn center and oxygen intermediates, stabilizing the *OOH intermediate and facilitating H2O2 generation. This work presents a promising strategy for minimizing H2O2 loss in electrochemical production via the rational design of main-group catalysts with well-defined coordination and electronic structures.
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