Organic semiconductor perylenetetracarboxylic diimide (PTCDI) electrodes for electrocatalytic reduction of oxygen to hydrogen peroxide

Abstract

Hydrogen peroxide is one of the most important industrial chemicals and there is great demand for the production of H₂O₂ using more sustainable and environmentally benign methods. We show electrochemical production of H₂O₂ by the reduction of O₂, enabled by an organic semiconductor catalyst, N,N′-dimethyl perylenetetracarboxylic diimide (PTCDI). We make PTCDI cathodes that are capable of stable and reusable operation in aqueous electrolytes in a pH range of 1–13 with a catalytic figure of merit as high as 26 kg H₂O₂ per g catalyst per h. These performance and stability open new avenues for organic small molecule semiconductors as electrocatalysts.