Highly Dispersed Co Atoms Anchored in Porous Nitrogen-Doped Carbon for Acidic H2o2 Electrosynthesis

Cobalt–nitrogen–carbon (Co–N–C) materials exhibit great potential for H 2 O 2 electrosynthesis through the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). However, the encapsulated Co nanoparticles reduce the Faradic efficiency of H 2 O 2 production. Herein, highly dispersed cobalt atoms anchored in porous N-doped carbon ( p –Co–N–C) via a carbonization-alkalization-acidification strategy are prepared and prove to be efficient for H 2 O 2 electrosynthesis in acidic media. The H 2 O 2 selectivity on the p –Co–N–C is over 90%, which is three times higher than that of Co nanoparticles encapsulated in N-doped carbon. Notably, the p –Co–N–C displays a H 2 O 2 production rate of 2,460.8 mg L −1 h −1 and a malachite green degradation rate of 90% within 8 min when employed in a flow cell. The enhanced performance of p –Co–N–C for H 2 O 2 electrosynthesis originates from the highly dispersed Co–N x species and hierarchical porous architecture. The Co–N x species can provide active sites for O 2 and reaction intermediate adsorption and the hierarchical porous architecture can promote the diffusion of H 2 O 2 into the bulk solution. This work provides a facile synthesis strategy for non-precious metal materials in various energy-related applications