Single atomic Ru in TiO2 boost efficient electrocatalytic water oxidation to hydrogen peroxide

Zhaolei Wang; Wenhai Xu; Guoying Tan; Xinxuan Duan; Bichen Yuan; Marshet Getaye Sendeku; Hai Liu; Tianshui Li; Fengmei Wang; Yun Kuang; Xiaoming Sun

doi:10.1016/j.scib.2023.03.003

Single atomic Ru in TiO₂ boost efficient electrocatalytic water oxidation to hydrogen peroxide

Sci Bull (Beijing). 2023 Mar 30;68(6):613-621. doi: 10.1016/j.scib.2023.03.003. Epub 2023 Mar 3.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Chemistry, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China.
² Ocean Hydrogen Energy R&D Center, Research Institute of Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518057, China.
³ State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Chemistry, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China. Electronic address: wangfm@buct.edu.cn.
⁴ State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Chemistry, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China. Electronic address: kuangyun@mail.buct.edu.cn.
⁵ State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Chemistry, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China. Electronic address: sunxm@mail.buct.edu.cn.

PMID: 36914544
DOI: 10.1016/j.scib.2023.03.003

Abstract

Electrocatalytic two-electron water oxidation affords a promising approach for distributed production of H₂O₂ using electricity. However, it suffers from the trade-off between the selectivity and high production rate of H₂O₂ due to the lack of suitable electrocatalysts. In this study, single atoms of Ru were controllably introduced into titanium dioxide to produce H₂O₂ through an electrocatalytic two-electron water oxidation reaction. The adsorption energy values of OH intermediates could be tuned by introducing Ru single atoms, offering superior H₂O₂ production under high current density. Notably, a Faradaic efficiency of 62.8% with an H₂O₂ production rate of 24.2 μmol min^-1 cm^-2 (>400 ppm within 10 min) was achieved at a current density of 120 mA cm^-2. Consequently, herein, the possibility of high-yield H₂O₂ production under high current density was demonstrated and the importance of regulating intermediate adsorption during electrocatalysis was evidenced.

Keywords: Electrocatalysis; Hydrogen peroxide synthesis; Single atom; Water oxidation.