Single-zinc vacancy unlocks high-rate H2O2 electrosynthesis from mixed dioxygen beyond Le Chatelier principle

Qi Huang, Baokai Xia, Ming Li, Hongxin Guan, Markus Antonietti and Sheng Chen ()
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Qi Huang: Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Ministry of Education
Baokai Xia: Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Ministry of Education
Ming Li: Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Ministry of Education
Hongxin Guan: Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Ministry of Education
Markus Antonietti: Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces
Sheng Chen: Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Ministry of Education

Nature Communications, 2024, vol. 15, issue 1, 1-10

Abstract: Abstract Le Chatelier’s principle is a basic rule in textbook defining the correlations of reaction activities and specific system parameters (like concentrations), serving as the guideline for regulating chemical/catalytic systems. Here we report a model system breaking this constraint in O2 electroreduction in mixed dioxygen. We unravel the central role of creating single-zinc vacancies in a crystal structure that leads to enzyme-like binding of the catalyst with enhanced selectivity to O2, shifting the reaction pathway from Langmuir-Hinshelwood to an upgraded triple-phase Eley-Rideal mechanism. The model system shows minute activity alteration of H2O2 yields (25.89~24.99 mol gcat−1 h−1) and Faradaic efficiencies (92.5%~89.3%) in the O2 levels of 100%~21% at the current density of 50~300 mA cm−2, which apparently violate macroscopic Le Chatelier’s reaction kinetics. A standalone prototype device is built for high-rate H2O2 production from atmospheric air, achieving the highest Faradaic efficiencies of 87.8% at 320 mA cm−2, overtaking the state-of-the-art catalysts and approaching the theoretical limit for direct air electrolysis (~345.8 mA cm−2). Further techno-economics analyses display the use of atmospheric air feedstock affording 21.7% better economics as comparison to high-purity O2, achieving the lowest H2O2 capital cost of 0.3 $ Kg−1. Given the recent surge of demonstrations on tailoring chemical/catalytic systems based on the Le Chatelier’s principle, the present finding would have general implications, allowing for leveraging systems “beyond” this classical rule.

Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48256-7

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