decentralizing production of hydrogen peroxide
Traditionally, hydrogen peroxide is synthesized via a centralized chemical process that is energy intensive and costly. The transportation of concentrated hydrogen peroxide solutions to the point of use presents an unnecessary risk when considering the needs of major sectors that utilize extremely dilute (as low as 1000 ppm) solutions of hydrogen peroxide, such as wastewater treatment. The electrochemical generation of hydrogen peroxide from the two-electron oxygen reduction reaction (2e ORR) is a viable route to generate hydrogen peroxide at the point of utilization in only the quantities that are needed. My work focuses on designing electrocatalysts that are active, stable, and selective for the two-electron pathway specifically in acidic and neutral electrolytes where hydrogen peroxide is most stable and useful, in contrast to many past studies focusing on carbon-based materials for electrosynthesis in alkaline electrolytes.
structure-property relationships in electrocatalysis
At the core of my graduate research is understanding what structural features in materials lead to their the ideal activity, stability, and selectivity for the two-electron oxygen reduction reaction. It has been well documented that active site separation is a general principle of improving the selectivity of catalysts towards 2e ORR as opposed to the competing four-electron pathway towards water. More recently, studies of single atom catalysts (SACs) have paved the way for the realization of more subtle structure-property relationships that are sensitive to even the degree of oxidation/reduction on the nearest neighbors of the active site and beyond. However, there is limited experimental validation of such relationships on crystalline materials and even more limited understanding of improving the stability of these materials, which I have had the chance to explore in Professor Song Jin’s lab.