Scalable and Customizable Single-Atom Coatings for pH-Universal H₂O₂ Electrosynthesis.

Area of Science:

• Catalysis
• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry

Background:

• Scalable fabrication of single-atom catalyst gas-diffusion electrodes (SAC-GDEs) is crucial but challenging.
• Existing methods struggle with uniformity and robustness for industrial applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a universal, one-step fabrication route for robust and uniform SAC-GDEs.
• To engineer hierarchical coating films for intensified mass transfer and high catalytic activity.
• To demonstrate efficient electrochemical synthesis of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2).

Main Methods:

• A universal one-step soot-deposition route using metal-containing paraffins.
• Conversion of precursors into conformal SAC coatings on diverse electrode architectures (fibers, plates, foams).
• Device-level testing of Pd-SAC-GDE for H2O2 production under industrial conditions.

Main Results:

• Achieved multiscale control over coating properties, from molecular coordination to electrode geometry.
• Demonstrated pH-universal H2O2 production at 500 mA cm-2 for 100 hours.
• Attained a record H2O2 yield of 16.9 mol g-1 h-1.
• Proposed a tip-enhanced mechanism involving curvature-enhanced electric fields at Pd-O3 sites.

Conclusions:

• The facile soot-deposition strategy enables scalable manufacturing of advanced SAC-GDEs.
• This approach significantly enhances H2O2 electrosynthesis efficiency and selectivity.
• The findings advance sustainable catalysis for environmental applications.