Oxygen Reduction to Hydrogen Peroxide on Hydrophilic Carbon Fiber Paper: Dependence of Mechanism and Active Site Stability on Electrolyte pH

Hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) is a vital chemical for a variety of applications including water
purification and chemical synthesis. Current thermochemical methods require intense energy and
infrastructure needs to be manufactured industrially. Electrocatalytic H 2 O 2 synthesis eliminates
extensive energy, transportation, and infrastructure needs. Electrocatalysis also offers benefits
over current thermochemical processes as it can be powered by renewable energy and does not
require chemical manufacturing plants which emit extensive greenhouse gases into the
atmosphere. This research aimed to find a new method to synthesize hydrogen peroxide through
electrocatalysis. Using hydrophilic carbon fiber paper, 96.6% selectivity for H 2 O 2 was achieved.
The catalyst is non-particulate, so it does not require supporting electrodes, which allows for
control over the surface chemistry. Tests in pH conditions ranging from 0.6 to 14 show the
interplay of mechanism and active site stability and their effect on H 2 O 2 electrosynthesis.