【Frontiers in HaiChuan Chemical Technology】Tianjin University has successfully developed high-performance electrocatalysts for the efficient synthesis of green hydrogen peroxide

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A high-performance electrocatalyst has been successfully developed, enabling the efficient synthesis of green hydrogen peroxide. On the 26th of the 5th month, Tianjin University announced that a team led by Professor Liang Ji from the School of Materials and Engineering had, through a unique design of interlayer hydrogen bonds, created such a high-performance electrocatalyst. This catalyst facilitates the efficient production of green hydrogen peroxide, and it is expected to allow for immediate use after production. The related research was published in the journal Nature Communications. 　　As an important oxidizing agent and disinfectant, hydrogen peroxide is widely used in the chemical, medical, and environmental protection industries, with global demand reaching 6 million tons in 2024. However, at present, 95% of hydrogen peroxide is produced using the energy-intensive anthraquinone process, which not only poses safety risks but also causes environmental pollution. Developing green, efficient, and sustainable methods for hydrogen peroxide synthesis is a common goal of the scientific and industrial communities. Among them, electrochemical synthesis technology can directly use oxygen and water to produce hydrogen peroxide, allowing its production under normal temperature and pressure; this approach holds promise for achieving the ideal goal of having hydrogen peroxide available for use immediately upon production. However, for a long time, catalysts have exhibited low activity, poor selectivity, and insufficient stability in neutral and alkaline environments, which has hindered the practical application of this technology. 　　To address the aforementioned challenges, Liang Ji’s team developed a nickel-based metal-organic framework material. This material possesses a unique layered structure that allows the nickel active centers to form \"interlayer hydrogen bonds\" with the amino groups in adjacent layers. This effect acts like a \"molecular key,\" enabling the material’s catalytic capability for the electrochemical synthesis of hydrogen peroxide to match the theoretical optimum value precisely, thereby ensuring reaction efficiency while significantly suppressing the occurrence of side reactions. Unlike traditional catalysts, which rely on the electronic structure of metal centers for regulation, the research team achieved precise control over catalytic reactions by designing the molecular arrangement of the materials and utilizing non-covalent forces such as hydrogen bonds. This strategy of \"non-coordinating structure modulation\" offers a new approach for the development of novel electrocatalytic materials, and it can be applied to more chemical reaction systems in the future. 　　Tests show that in neutral and alkaline environments, this catalyst achieves a hydrogen peroxide yield that far exceeds that of similar products. In artificial seawater, the mass concentration of hydrogen peroxide produced by this catalyst can rapidly reach 1%, while in alkaline solutions it can quickly reach 3% – both values meeting the practical standards required for pollutant degradation and sterilization. For example, using this material to prepare hydrogen peroxide in physiological saline can achieve a 100% kill rate of pathogenic bacteria such as E. coli within just 30 minutes, and it can also rapidly degrade toxic organic dyes.