Spectroscopic Identification of Active Sites of Oxygen‐Doped Carbon for Selective Oxygen Reduction to Hydrogen Peroxide

Abstract The electrochemical synthesis of hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) via a two‐electron (2 e − ) oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) process provides a promising alternative to replace the energy‐intensive anthraquinone process. Herein, we develop a facile template‐protected strategy to synthesize a highly active quinone‐rich porous carbon catalyst for H 2 O 2 electrochemical production. The optimized PCC 900 material exhibits remarkable activity and selectivity, of which the onset potential reaches 0.83 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode in 0.1 M KOH and the H 2 O 2 selectivity is over 95 % in a wide potential range. Comprehensive synchrotron‐based near‐edge X‐ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy combined with electrocatalytic characterizations reveals the positive correlation between quinone content and 2 e − ORR performance. The effectiveness of chair‐form quinone groups as the most efficient active sites is highlighted by the molecule‐mimic strategy and theoretical analysis.