Mechanocatalytic H2O2 production using ferroelectric KSr2Nb3Ta2O15 nanorods

Traditional methods of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) production, such as the anthraquinone process and electrolysis, face challenges including high costs, significant energy consumption, and strict electrode requirements. Therefore, this study proposes a mechanocatalytic approach for H2O2 production. By utilizing the molten-salt method, KSr2Nb3Ta2O15 ferroelectric nanorods were synthesized to achieve a mechanocatalytic H2O2 yield of 117 mu mol/L/h in a glass beaker equipped with a PTFE disk. Remarkably, substituting the glass beaker with a ZrO2 ball mill for the mechanocatalytic experiments significantly increased the H2O2 yield to 820 mu mol/L/h. The Piezoelectric Force Microscopy (PFM), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis revealed that the inherent electric field of ferroelectric materials and the abundant specific surface area on the KSr2Nb3Ta2O15 nanorod surface enhance electron transfer during the mechanocatalytic process. Rotating Ring-Disk Electrode tests indicated that the mechanocatalytic one-step two-electron pathway dominates H2O2 generation through mechanocatalysis with an 85 % selectivity rate, surpassing conventional two-step one-electron pathway efficiency in oxygen reduction reaction. Output charge testing of vertical contact separation mode triboelectric nanogenerator (CS-TENG) determines the ability of a material to gain or lose electrons during friction processes. This breakthrough presents a novel and efficient method for H2O2 production via mechanocatalysis. Using the molten-salt method, KSr2Nb3Ta2O15 ferroelectric nanorods were synthesized, resulting in a mechanocatalytic H2O2 yield of 820 mu mol/L/h in a ball mill jar. Comprehensive analysis utilizing PFM, SEM, BET, RRDE, CS-TENG and by comparing the effect of mechanocatalysis with different materials demonstrated that the built-in electric field of ferroelectric materials enhance electron transfer in the mechanocatalytic process. This breakthrough presents a novel and efficient method for H2O2 production through mechanocatalysis.