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Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), a green oxidizing agent, is extensively utilized across diverse industries, including wastewater treatment and disinfection. The direct electrochemical synthesis of H2O2 via the two-electron oxygen reduction reaction (2e--ORR) presents a sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative to the conventional anthraquinone process, which suffers from high energy consumption and complex multi-step reactions. In this study, sulfur-doped carbon nanotube materials (S-CNTs) were successfully synthesized by utilizing sublimed sulfur as the sulfur source and carbon nanotubes as the carbon carrier, heated at 750 ℃ in an H2/Ar atmosphere for sulfurization and annealing. For comparison, oxygen-doped carbon nanotubes (O-CNTs) and pure carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were also prepared. The results demonstrate that S-CNTs catalysts exhibit outstanding 2e-ORR performance in both alkaline and neutral environments. In alkaline conditions, the selectivity for H2O2 exceeds 80%, with a peak value of 93% over a wide potential range of 0.20~0.60 V (vs. RHE), while in neutral conditions, the selectivity is 87%, within a potential range of 0.20~0.50 V (vs. RHE). Furthermore, in a flow-cell configuration utilizing commercial RuIr@Ti as the anode, the H2O2 yield reached 6.16 mmol•cm−2•h−1 with a cumulative concentration of 30.8 mmol•L−1 under alkaline conditions, while under neutral conditions, the yield was 5.82 mmol•cm−2•h−1 with over 80% Faradaic efficiency. The incorporation of sulfur into the carbon nanotube catalysts effectively modulated the coordination environment and electronic structure, while the introduction of defect sites provided an ideal active center and robust structural foundation. The electronic structure modulation of the carbon substrate and the enhancement of water dissociation via sulfur-doped carbon nanotube catalysts not only significantly reduced the reaction overpotential across a wide pH range but also facilitated the production of high-concentration hydrogen peroxide, thereby improving synthesis efficiency. This study offers a novel and cost-effective approach for the development of efficient non-metal-doped carbon materials as electrocatalysts for the two-electron reduction of O2 to H2O2 and suggests promising applications in the field of energy and environmental technologies. © 2025 Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences.
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Acta Chimica Sinica
ISSN: 0567-7351
Year: 2025
Issue: 5
Volume: 83
Page: 439-444
1 . 7 0 0
JCR@2023
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