@article{MOURA2024113182,

title = {Experimental and theoretical studies of WO3/Vulcan XC-72 electrocatalyst enhanced H2O2 yield ORR performed in acid and alkaline medium},

author = {João Paulo C. Moura and Lanna E. B. Lucchetti and Caio M. Fernandes and Aline B. Trench and Camila N. Lange and Bruno L. Batista and James M. de Almeida and Mauro C. Santos},

url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213343724013125},

doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2024.113182},

issn = {2213-3437},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-03-06},

urldate = {2024-01-01},

journal = {Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering},

volume = {12},

number = {4},

pages = {113182},

abstract = {The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) plays a pivotal role in clean energy generation and sustainable chemical production, particularly in the synthesis of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). In this study, WO3/Vulcan-XC72 electrocatalysts have been synthesized and characterized for ORR applications. We assessed the ratio of WO3 to Vulcan-XC72 and investigated the impact of electrolytes pH (covering acidic and alkaline media) on the ORR process. The results revealed that WO3 with a monoclinic crystalline phase and nanoflower-like morphology was successfully synthesized, and confirmed an improvement in surface properties, with an increase in hydrophilicity and superficial oxygenated species. Electrochemical studies showed that WO3/C was the most selective for H2O2 electrogeneration, compared to pure Vulcan-XC72, in both acidic and alkaline media. These results indicate that the ORR on the WO3/C electrocatalyst surface has a pH-dependent mechanism. Using WO3/C GDEs, an accumulation of 862 mg L-1 of H2O2 was achieved after 120 min of electrolysis at 100 mA cm-2. The higher selectivity of WO3/C could be related to the presence of more oxygen functional acid species on the catalyst surface and increased hydrophilicity compared to pure Vulcan, as well as a synergistic effect of the WO3 nanoflowers in ORR, confirmed by theoretical calculations. The results reveal that WO3/Vulcan is a promising catalyst for H2O2 electrogeneration via the ORR.},

keywords = {Carbon, DFT, HO electrogeneration, ORR, WO},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}