Highly active and selective oxygen reduction to H(2)O(2) on boron-doped carbon for high production rates

Oxygen reduction reaction towards hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) provides a green alternative route for H(2)O(2) production, but it lacks efficient catalysts to achieve high selectivity and activity simultaneously under industrial-relevant production rates. Here we report a boron-doped carbon (B-C) catalyst which can overcome this activity-selectivity dilemma. Compared to the state-of-the-art oxidized carbon catalyst, B-C catalyst presents enhanced activity (saving more than 210 mV overpotential) under industrial-relevant currents (up to 300 mA cm(−2)) while maintaining high H(2)O(2) selectivity (85–90%). Density-functional theory calculations reveal that the boron dopant site is responsible for high H(2)O(2) activity and selectivity due to low thermodynamic and kinetic barriers. Employed in our porous solid electrolyte reactor, the B-C catalyst demonstrates a direct and continuous generation of pure H(2)O(2) solutions with high selectivity (up to 95%) and high H(2)O(2) partial currents (up to ~400 mA cm(−2)), illustrating the catalyst’s great potential for practical applications in the future.