CoIn dual-atom catalyst for hydrogen peroxide production via oxygen reduction reaction in acid

The two-electron oxygen reduction reaction in acid is highly attractive to produce H₂O₂, a commodity chemical vital in various industry and household scenarios, which is still hindered by the sluggish reaction kinetics. Herein, both density function theory calculation and in-situ characterization demonstrate that in dual-atom CoIn catalyst, O-affinitive In atom triggers the favorable and stable adsorption of hydroxyl, which effectively optimizes the adsorption of OOH on neighboring Co. As a result, the oxygen reduction on Co atoms shifts to two-electron pathway for efficient H₂O₂ production in acid. The H₂O₂ partial current density reaches 1.92 mA cm⁻² at 0.65 V in the rotating ring-disk electrode test, while the H₂O₂ production rate is as high as 9.68 mol g⁻¹ h⁻¹ in the three-phase flow cell. Additionally, the CoIn-N-C presents excellent stability during the long-term operation, verifying the practicability of the CoIn-N-C catalyst. This work provides inspiring insights into the rational design of active catalysts for H₂O₂ production and other catalytic systems.