Nanoscale reduction-site-selective oxygen regulation for promoting hydrogen peroxide production.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 41331291.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-025-66977-1 and PMC identifier 12783814.
- Licence recorded as CC BY-NC-ND.
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Abstract
Solar-driven H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> production is a promising sustainable technology, yet its efficiency is hindered by a fundamental conflict. While the oxygen reduction reaction requires a high O<sub>2</sub> concentration, this very condition suppresses the water oxidation half-reaction. This trade-off is intrinsic to conventional photocatalysts, where both reaction centers are integrated on a single nanoparticle. Here we present a nano-assembly strategy that addresses this trade-off. We use a faceted photocatalyst to spatially segregate the sites for water oxidation and oxygen reduction. The reduction sites are selectively functionalized with zeolite nanovessels as O<sub>2</sub> traps. This design enhances the local O<sub>2</sub> concentration where needed, without suppressing the competing oxidation reaction. The optimized system exhibits a 3.1-fold increase in H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> production, achieving a solar-to-chemical efficiency of 1.05% and an apparent quantum yield of 15.9% at 420 nm. Successful operation in an outdoor panel reactor demonstrates the approach's scalability. This study underscores the role of local mass regulation in enhancing H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> generation and provides a strategic framework for designing photocatalytic systems.