Effects of the composition of acid solutions and the presence of organic acids on oxygen electroreduction to hydrogen peroxide in a carbon black gas-diffusion electrode

This paper reports on the effects of the K₂SO₄, H₂SO₄, NaCl, HCl, and tetrabutylammonium bromide concentrations (0.01–0.0002 M) and the presence of formic, acetic, and butyric acids in the electrolyte on the kinetic characteristics of oxygen reduction to H₂O₂ in a carbon black gas-diffusion electrode (GDE) and on the H₂O₂ accumulation kinetics in electrolyte at current densities of 30–100 mA/cm². The introduction of K₂SO₄ and tetrabutylammonium bromide in the electrolyte led to an increase in the transfer coefficient α and a decrease in the coefficients in the Tafel equation. The concentration and the current efficiency of H₂O₂ decreased with the salt to acid concentration ratio. The organic acids reduced the current efficiency of H₂O₂ and increased the electrode polarization. Peracids with a current efficiency of up to 0.27% and concentration of up to 7.5 mM were obtained. Solutions of H₂O₂ with concentrations of 0.6–3.3 M and current efficiencies of 17–75% were obtained at current densities of 30–100 mA/cm² in electrolytes with salt and inorganic acid concentrations of 0.9–40 g/l and in the presence of organic acids.