Direct electrosynthesis of pure aqueous H 2 O 2 solutions up to 20% by weight using a solid electrolyte

A direct route to pure peroxide Despite the widespread use of hydrogen peroxide as an oxidant and disinfectant, its commercial synthesis still requires inefficient concentration and purification steps. Xia et al. now report an electrochemical approach to synthesizing pure peroxide solutions straight from hydrogen and oxygen. Using a solid-state electrolyte, they avoid contamination of the product solution by extraneous ions. Varying the flow rate of water through the electrochemical cell tunes the final concentration over a range from 0.3% to 20% by weight. Science , this issue p. 226