Selective H2O2 Synthesis via Spontaneous O2 Activation Over Silver-Modified Red Phosphorus for Radioactive Wastewater Treatment

Hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) is regarded as a promising strategy for radioactive uranium removal, due to its eco-friendliness and ability to convert free UO 2 2+ into insoluble studtite. However, the spontaneous and selective production of H 2 O 2 under ambient conditions remains challenging. This study develops a P-Ag for spontaneous O 2 activation and selective H 2 O 2 synthesis under ambient conditions. The H 2 O 2 yields of P-Ag reach 1210 µmol g −1 h −1 in air and 1876.3 µmol g −1 h −1 in O 2 , surpassing most of the recently reported catalytic systems. Importantly, the H 2 O 2 generated in situ by P-Ag achieves a high uranium removal activity (48.5) within 60 min, outperforming 23 known systems. Mechanistic studies indicate that P-Ag follows a two-step single-electron O 2 activation pathway. The electron-donating Ag sites drive the complete catalytic cycle, encompassing H 2 O/O 2 adsorption, H 2 O dissociation, and *OOH/H 2 O 2 formation, while the red phosphorus substrate serves as an electron reservoir to sustain the Ag sites. The H 2 O 2 produced reacts instantaneously with UO 2 2+ to form studtite, enabling efficient uranium removal. This study not only offers new insights into the selective synthesis of H 2 O 2 via spontaneous O 2 activation, but also proposes an eco-friendly route to mitigate environmental risks from radioactive uranium contamination.