Tailoring oxygen adsorption on nickel nitride for selective 2e− ORR to hydrogen peroxide

Electrocatalytic hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) production via the 2e − oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) offers a sustainable alternative to the energy-intensive anthraquinone process. However, achieving cost-effective, long-term stable H 2 O 2 synthesis at industrial-level current densities remains a formidable challenge. Here, we demonstrate that Ni 3 N supported on Ti 3 CN MXene (Ni 3 N/MX) undergoes surface reconstruction during electrocatalysis, forming an active NiOOH layer that optimizes *O 2 and *OOH adsorption, thereby enhancing the 2e − ORR pathway. As a result, Ni 3 N/MX achieves an exceptional H 2 O 2 yield rate of 10.7 mol·h −1 ·g −1 with a Faradaic efficiency of 92.0%. The catalyst maintains continuous operation for over 100 h at 300 mA cm −2 , demonstrating outstanding durability. Furthermore, the estimated production cost of 70 wt% H 2 O 2 is as low as $0.21 kg −1 , underscoring the economic feasibility of this approach. This work highlights metal nitride reconstruction as a powerful strategy for advancing electrosynthesis of H 2 O 2 .