Practical electrochemical production of hydrogen peroxide via paired two-electron oxygen reduction and water oxidation

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Paired electrolysis offers an untapped route towards effective hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) production by harnessing both half-reactions efficiently for a single valuable commodity. Here, we report a localised electrochemical system unifying catalyst innovation, convergent two-electron oxygen reduction (2 e − ORR) and water oxidation (2 e − WOR), and direct H 2 O 2 utilisation. A functionalised and tailored mesoporous carbon catalyst ( o -MC-6) was developed, exhibiting near-total H 2 O 2 selectivity (~99%) and durability (15 h) for the 2 e − ORR at current densities up to 1 A cm −2 across the full pH range, producing H 2 O 2 at a rate of 21.5 mol H 2 O 2 g −1 cat h −1 under continuous flow, consuming 7.8 kWh kg −1 H 2 O 2 , already competitive with the anthraquinone process. Coupling o -MC-6 with a boron-doped diamond (BDD) anode enables synchronous dual H 2 O 2 generation with a record faradaic efficiency of 173.7%, an unprecedented combined rate of 2.27 mmol min −1 , and an energy consumption of only 4.46 kWh kg −1 H 2 O 2 , representing a 75% increase in energy efficiency. Practicality is showcased by oxidising 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) to 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) with 100% conversion and 98% selectivity under mild conditions using electro-synthesised H 2 O 2 streams. This work establishes a robust and scalable system for decentralised H 2 O 2 production, bridging electrocatalyst design with system-level integration, thus unlocking new avenues for green chemical electro-generation.