O₂‑Independent\nH₂O₂ Production via Water–Polymer Contact\nElectrification

Abstract

Hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), as a\ncritical green\nchemical, has received immense attention in energy and environmental\nfields. The ability to produce H₂O₂ in earth-abundant\nwater without relying on low solubility oxygen would be a sustainable\nand potentially economic process, applicable even to anaerobic microenvironments,\nsuch as groundwater treatment. However, the direct water to H₂O₂ process is currently hindered by low selectivity\nand low production rates. Herein, we report that poly(tetrafluoroethylene)\n(PTFE), a commonly used inert polymer, can act as an efficient triboelectric\ncatalyst for H₂O₂ generation. For example, a\nhigh H₂O₂ production rate of 24.8 mmol g_cat^–1 h^–1 at a dosage of\n0.01 g/L PTFE was achieved under the condition of pure water, ambient\natmosphere, and no sacrificial agents, which exceeds the performance\nof state-of-the-art aqueous H₂O₂ powder catalysts.\nElectron spin resonance and isotope experiments provide strong evidence\nthat water–PTFE tribocatalysis can directly oxidize water to\nproduce H₂O₂ under both anaerobic and aerobic\nconditions, albeit with different synthetic pathways. This study demonstrates\na potential strategy for green and effective tribocatalytic H₂O₂ production that may be particularly useful toward\nenvironmental applications.