Boron/Nitrogen Codoped Porous Carbon: An Efficient Oxygen Reduction Electrocatalyst for H2O2 Production

Abstract

Electrochemical synthesis of H₂O₂ via a two-electron oxygen reduction reaction (2e^– ORR) has emerged as a potential alternative to the traditional anthraquinone method, but developing efficient electrocatalysts with good activity and selectivity is still a challenge. Herein, B/N codoped porous carbon (B/N-MC) was prepared by ZnO template-assisted method. The obtained B/N-MC exhibits excellent catalytic performance for 2e^– ORR. When tested in 0.1 M KOH, the B/N-MC has an outstanding Faradaic efficiency over 95% and a higher H₂O₂ yield rate of 5.5 mol h^–1g_cat^–1, which is 2.1 times higher than that of N-MC without B (2.6 mol h^–1g_cat^–1). DFT calculation results confirm that it is the N/B doping that leads to the electron redistribution of B/N-MC and enhances its adsorption to O₂, thus improving the 2e^– ORR performance of H₂O₂ generation. Furthermore, the on-site produced H₂O₂ on B/N-MC has been successfully used for disinfection and dye degradation, proving its potential for industrial applications. This work provides a new way to improve the performance of carbon-based catalysts by modulating their morphology and electronic structure.