Photoelectrochemical Production of Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2)

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is an essential chemical that has been widely used in wastewater treatment, chemical synthesis, bleaching, and disinfection. Conventional H2O2 production via anthraquinone oxidation is energy intensive and unfriendly to the environment. Therefore, it is imperative to develop an alternative route to synthesize H2O2 in a more sustainable way. Photoelectrochemical (PEC) H2O2 production has drawn increasing attention as it requires moderate reaction conditions, possibly powered by renewable energy with negligible waste generation. Besides, the on-demand and on-site synthesis on a small scale is another advantage of PEC H2O2 production, which reduces the risk of storage and transportation of concentrated H2O2. Although the photochemical oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) route has been widely studied, the limited dissolution of O2 in aqueous electrolytes imposes challenges. In comparison, the H2O2 production via water oxidation reaction (WOR) deserves closer investigation, in which water is the only reactant with H2 as the reductive product. In this project, we aim to design a functional photoanode for selective PEC water oxidation to H2O2.

The visiting student will conduct photoelectrode design and fabrication, followed by performing a few characterizations and analyses to understand the optical, electrochemical and catalytic properties of the photoelectrode. The visiting student will gain hands-on experience in handling photoreactors and photoelectrochemical setup. Through solving problems, the student will have the opportunity to develop critical thinking skills.