Surface-functionalized Carbon Black as Catalyst for the Direct Production of Hydrogen Peroxide by the Oxidation of Hydroxylamine

Carbon black (CB) without micropores was functionalized by mixed acid and used to explore the surface chemistry effect on the production of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂). The CB materials were characterized by N₂ adsorption‐desorption, XRD, SEM, FTIR, and TPD. The results of different characterization methods indicated that both the textural features and the surface chemical properties of CB were significantly modified by the acidic treatment. The catalytic performance of the modified CBs for hydroxylamine (NH₂OH) oxidation increased with increasing the surface oxygen‐containing species. The yield of H₂O₂ approached 30% with the corresponding concentration of 73.9 mmol·L^?1 (w=0.25%) over the most promising CB catalyst, which was much superior to the results obtained on supported noble metals. Correlations between catalytic activity and concentration of different surface functional groups on the CB samples confirmed that the quinonoid species might be the active species.