Simultaneous ozone and hydrogen peroxide electrosynthesis via defect modulation in Ni, Sb-doped SnO₂ electrocatalysts

Electrochemical synthesis of green oxidants O-3 and H2O2 is valuable for applications, but challenges persist in enhancing the O-3 and H2O2 generation activity and combined application. Herein, we modulate the surface Ni active sites and oxygen vacancy defects content in Ni-Sb-SnO2 electrocatalysts to enhance selectivity for electrochemical ozone generation (EOP) and two-electron electrochemical oxygen reduction reactions (2e(-) ORR). The Ni active sites and oxygen vacancy defects enriched electrocatalysts resulting in an ozone faradaic efficiency of 48.1%, while non-enriched electrocatalyst obtained 90% selectivity for H2O2. Theoretical calculations revealed that Ni-Sb-SnO2 efficiently captures O-2 with defective O-vac2 stabilize intermediates, facilitating O-3 and H2O2 synthesis. Moreover, concerted EOP and 2e(-) ORR enable concurrent generation of O-3 and H2O2 for efficient synergistic degradation of organic pollutants, while attenuating the energy demands of the electrolyzer. This study provides an appealing strategy for simultaneous production of O-3 and H2O2 with applications in wastewater treatment.