VN/Copper foam self-supporting catalyst for efficient electrocatalytic hydrogen peroxide generation

Abstract

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is a crucial chemical, while its conventional production methods are energy-intensive and environmentally damaging. Electrocatalytic synthesis of H2O2 through 2e- oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) presents a sustainable alternative. Here, we introduce a novel VN/Copper foam (VN/CF) self-supporting catalyst, achieving an H2O2 production yield rate of 169.7 mg·h−1·cm−2 with a Faradaic efficiency (FE) of 89.1 %. The self-supporting VN/CF demonstrates remarkable durability, sustaining stable operation at a current density of 300 mA cm−2 over 110 h. Notably, the capital cost of 70 wt% H2O2 is remarkably low at just $0.25/kg. This work highlights the potential of self-supported metal nitrides as stable and efficient 2e- ORR catalysts.