Regulating Zinc‐Based Compounds with Oxygen Group Elements for Electrosynthesis of Hydrogen Peroxide in Neutral Media

Abstract The electrocatalytic two‐electron oxygen reduction reaction (2e − ORR) is anticipated to supersede the energy‐intensive and environmentally adverse anthraquinone process for decentralized and small‐scale H 2 O 2 production. Designing cost‐effective 2e − ORR electrocatalysts with clear structure‐activity relationships for neutral media remains challenging. Here, we employ an appropriate method to introduce oxygen group elements, including O, S, Se, and Te, to synthesize a series of carbon‐supported transition metal Zn compounds regulated by different anions. The phase composition was verified using electron microscopy and X‐ray techniques. Among the four electrocatalysts tested under neutral conditions, ZnO/C exhibited the highest 2e − ORR selectivity, whereas ZnTe/C showed the lowest. The trend was positively correlated with the electronegativity of the oxygen group elements. Meanwhile, the H 2 O 2 yield of ZnO/C in an H‐cell can reach 5.72 mg cm −2  h −1 at 0 V versus RHE, with a maximum Faraday efficiency of 95%, and it also exhibits excellent durability. This work offers novel insights into the future design of heteroatom‐doped carbon‐supported transition metal compounds and the analysis of catalytic activity origins through diverse methodologies.