Carbonate-carbonate coupling on platinum surface promotes electrochemical water oxidation to hydrogen peroxide

Abstract Water electro-oxidation to form H2O2 is an important way to produce H2O2 which is widely applied in industry. However, its mechanism is under debate and HO(ads), hydroxyl group adsorbed onto the surface of the electrode, is regarded as an important intermediate. Herein, we study the mechani...

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Main Authors: Heng Zhu, Ximei Lv, Yuexu Wu, Wentao Wang, Yuping Wu, Shicheng Yan, Yuhui Chen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2024-10-01
Series:Nature Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-53134-3
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author Heng Zhu
Ximei Lv
Yuexu Wu
Wentao Wang
Yuping Wu
Shicheng Yan
Yuhui Chen
author_facet Heng Zhu
Ximei Lv
Yuexu Wu
Wentao Wang
Yuping Wu
Shicheng Yan
Yuhui Chen
author_sort Heng Zhu
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Water electro-oxidation to form H2O2 is an important way to produce H2O2 which is widely applied in industry. However, its mechanism is under debate and HO(ads), hydroxyl group adsorbed onto the surface of the electrode, is regarded as an important intermediate. Herein, we study the mechanism of water oxidation to H2O2 at Pt electrode using in-situ Raman spectroscopy and differential electrochemical mass spectroscopy and find peroxide bond mainly originated from the coupling of two CO3 2- via a C2O6 2- intermediate. By quantifying the 18O isotope in the product, we find that 93% of H2O2 was formed via the CO3 2- coupling route and 7% of H2O2 is from OH(ads)-CO3 •− route. The OH(ads)-OH(ads) coupling route has a negligible contribution. The comparison of various electrodes shows that the strong adsorption of CO3(ads) at the electrode surface is essential. Combining with a commercial cathode catalyst to produce H2O2 during oxygen reduction, we assemble a flow cell in which the cathode and anode simultaneously produce H2O2. It shows a Faradaic efficiency of 150% of H2O2 at 1 A cm−2 with a cell voltage of 2.3 V.
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issn 2041-1723
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publishDate 2024-10-01
publisher Nature Portfolio
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spelling doaj-art-177ecad6cec54f63996bad7babde830e2025-08-20T02:17:53ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232024-10-0115111010.1038/s41467-024-53134-3Carbonate-carbonate coupling on platinum surface promotes electrochemical water oxidation to hydrogen peroxideHeng Zhu0Ximei Lv1Yuexu Wu2Wentao Wang3Yuping Wu4Shicheng Yan5Yuhui Chen6State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech UniversityState Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech UniversityState Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech UniversityState Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech UniversityKey Laboratory of Energy Thermal Conversion and Control of Ministry of Education, School of Energy and Environment, Southeast UniversityCollaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Nanjing UniversityState Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech UniversityAbstract Water electro-oxidation to form H2O2 is an important way to produce H2O2 which is widely applied in industry. However, its mechanism is under debate and HO(ads), hydroxyl group adsorbed onto the surface of the electrode, is regarded as an important intermediate. Herein, we study the mechanism of water oxidation to H2O2 at Pt electrode using in-situ Raman spectroscopy and differential electrochemical mass spectroscopy and find peroxide bond mainly originated from the coupling of two CO3 2- via a C2O6 2- intermediate. By quantifying the 18O isotope in the product, we find that 93% of H2O2 was formed via the CO3 2- coupling route and 7% of H2O2 is from OH(ads)-CO3 •− route. The OH(ads)-OH(ads) coupling route has a negligible contribution. The comparison of various electrodes shows that the strong adsorption of CO3(ads) at the electrode surface is essential. Combining with a commercial cathode catalyst to produce H2O2 during oxygen reduction, we assemble a flow cell in which the cathode and anode simultaneously produce H2O2. It shows a Faradaic efficiency of 150% of H2O2 at 1 A cm−2 with a cell voltage of 2.3 V.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-53134-3
spellingShingle Heng Zhu
Ximei Lv
Yuexu Wu
Wentao Wang
Yuping Wu
Shicheng Yan
Yuhui Chen
Carbonate-carbonate coupling on platinum surface promotes electrochemical water oxidation to hydrogen peroxide
Nature Communications
title Carbonate-carbonate coupling on platinum surface promotes electrochemical water oxidation to hydrogen peroxide
title_full Carbonate-carbonate coupling on platinum surface promotes electrochemical water oxidation to hydrogen peroxide
title_fullStr Carbonate-carbonate coupling on platinum surface promotes electrochemical water oxidation to hydrogen peroxide
title_full_unstemmed Carbonate-carbonate coupling on platinum surface promotes electrochemical water oxidation to hydrogen peroxide
title_short Carbonate-carbonate coupling on platinum surface promotes electrochemical water oxidation to hydrogen peroxide
title_sort carbonate carbonate coupling on platinum surface promotes electrochemical water oxidation to hydrogen peroxide
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-53134-3
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AT wentaowang carbonatecarbonatecouplingonplatinumsurfacepromoteselectrochemicalwateroxidationtohydrogenperoxide
AT yupingwu carbonatecarbonatecouplingonplatinumsurfacepromoteselectrochemicalwateroxidationtohydrogenperoxide
AT shichengyan carbonatecarbonatecouplingonplatinumsurfacepromoteselectrochemicalwateroxidationtohydrogenperoxide
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