Breaking traditional wisdom: oxygenated groups hinder H₂O₂ electrosynthesis on CoNC catalysts

Hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) is an indispensable green chemical with applications spanning industrial manufacturing, medical disinfection, and wastewater treatment. However, the dominant anthraquinone method for H₂O₂ production is plagued by complex processes, high energy consumption, and organic waste emissions, driving the urgent need for eco-friendly alternatives.

Electrosynthesis via the two-electron oxygen reduction reaction (2e⁻ ORR) has emerged as a promising solution, requiring only oxygen, electrolytes, and electricity to produce H₂O₂. Cobalt-nitrogen-carbon (CoNC) catalysts are among the most studied materials for this reaction, with conventional wisdom suggesting that introducing oxygenated functional groups (OFGs) can significantly boost H₂O₂ selectivity. However, these results are mostly assessed through the rotating ring-disk electrode (RRDE) technique, but neglected to compare their gas diffusion electrode (GDE) performance.

Now, a joint research team led by Guanglin Huang, Jian Zhang, and Xing Lu from Huazhong University of Science and Technology and Hainan University has overturned this long-standing assumption. Their peer-reviewed study shows that while OFGs do improve 2e⁻ ORR selectivity in RRDE, they surprisingly reduce actual H₂O₂ yield in GDE—a phenomenon consistent across multiple oxidation systems and CoNC catalyst types, confirming its generality.

“Our findings challenge the blind pursuit of oxygenated groups in CoNC catalyst design,” said Chang Zhang, First author of the study. “OFGs enhance the catalyst surface hydrophilicity, disrupting the critical three-phase interface and hindering oxygen diffusion—this is the key reason for the reduced H₂O₂ productivity in practical applications.”

Mechanistic investigations reveal the dual effects of OFGs: they eliminate cobalt nanoparticles and adjust surface coordination environments to improve selectivity, but simultaneously cover active sites and impede mass transfer. Notably, the team found that removing OFGs via hydrogen reduction treatment restores the catalyst’s hydrophobic surface and chemical state, leading to recovered or even enhanced H₂O₂ yield.

Jian Zhang, corresponding author, emphasized the practical implications: “Future catalyst design should move beyond simply adding OFGs. Instead, we need to balance their promotional effects on selectivity and inhibitory impacts on mass transfer by optimizing the type, density, and distribution of these groups. This work provides a new framework for developing highly efficient H₂O₂ electrocatalysts.”

Other contributors include Chang Zhang, Hongshang Hu, Wei Liu, Huiyao Qi, Lilong Zhang, Muneerah Alomar, Lei Liu, and Lipiao Bao from Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Hainan University, and Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University.

DOI Link:

https://doi.org/10.26599/NR.2026.94908416

About Nano Research

Nano Research is a peer-reviewed, open access, international and interdisciplinary research journal, sponsored by Tsinghua University and the Chinese Chemical Society, published by Tsinghua University Press on the platform SciOpen. It publishes original high-quality research and significant review articles on all aspects of nanoscience and nanotechnology, ranging from basic aspects of the science of nanoscale materials to practical applications of such materials. After 18 years of development, it has become one of the most influential academic journals in the nano field. Nano Research has published more than 1,000 papers every year from 2022, with its cumulative count surpassing 8,000 articles. In 2025 InCites Journal Citation Reports, its 2025 IF is 9.4 (8.3, 5 years), and it continues to be the Q1 area among the four subject classifications. Nano Research Award, established by Nano Research together with TUP and Springer Nature in 2013, and Nano Research Young Innovators (NR45) Awards, established by Nano Research in 2018, have become international academic awards with global influence.