An electronic approach to understanding the kinetics of hydrogen peroxide formation

Abstract

Hydrogen peroxide is an environmentally friendly oxidant that decomposes into water as its only byproduct. Various methods exist for its production, with direct synthesis standing out as a more sustainable and energy-efficient approach. This research introduces a kinetic model for the direct synthesis of hydrogen peroxide using catalysts, considering electron exchange between reaction intermediates and the catalyst. The model explains the size-dependent effects observed in Pd and Au nanocatalysts, offering insights for catalyst design in direct hydrogen peroxide synthesis. Furthermore, the electronic principles can be extended to the spontaneous formation of hydrogen peroxide at water/solid and air/droplet interfaces, shedding light on how the size of water microdroplets influences this process.