A metal-free catalyst for the efficient and stable one-step photocatalytic production of pure hydrogen peroxide

Abstract

Hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) is widely used as a green and clean energy resource. Pure H₂O₂ solution has attracted much attention for its special applications in many fields. Photocatalytic water splitting for H₂O₂ production is an environmentally friendly method; however, most photocatalytic systems contain metallic elements, cocatalysts, and sacrificial agents that make it difficult to produce pure H₂O₂ solution. Herein, we report a one-step photoproduction of pure H₂O₂ solution using an efficient, highly stable, metal-free photocatalyst composed of quercetin-1 and methyl blue-1. Under visible light (λ ≥ 420 nm), the H₂O₂ yield reached 3676 μmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹ in pure water without the addition of any sacrificial agents. This work provides a new and green method for the one-step photoproduction of pure H₂O₂ solution using an efficient metal-free catalyst.