Noble-Metal-Free Ni-N-C Catalyst for Efficient Electrochemical Synthesis of Hydrogen Peroxide from Oxygen Reduction Reaction Under Both Acidic and Alkaline Conditions

H2O2 is a valuable, environmentally friendly oxidizing agent with a wide range of applications from the provision of clean water to the synthesis of valuable chemicals. The on-site electrocatalytic production of H2O2 would bring the chemical to uses beyond its present reach. The successful commercialization of electrochemical synthesis of H2O2 through 2e- oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and the efficiency of the process depends greatly on the availability of cost-effective catalysts with high selectivity, activity, and stability. Among the catalysts, heat-treated metal-nitrogen-carbon materials (M-N-C) are noble-metal-free alternatives to the expensive state-of-the art platinum-based catalysts and have attracted massive attention due to their low-cost, high abundance, and efficient catalytic performance towards ORR. Herein, we report the synthesis and electrocatalytic assessment of a M-N-C catalyst for the synthesis of H2O2 through ORR in both acidic and alkaline media. The catalyst was based on nickel, and prepared by pyrolyzing a mixture of nickel (II) chloride and nitrogen/carbon precursors. This talk will focus on the impact of nickel content on the performance, with catalyst characterization correlated with electrochemical results to gain insight into electrochemical activity and selectivity towards H2O2.