Recent advances in tailoring the microenvironment of Pd-based catalysts for enhancing the performance in the direct synthesis of hydrogen peroxide

Abstract

Hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) is a valuable clean chemical, which is widely applied in modern industrial production. In the past few decades, H₂O₂ has been mainly produced industrially by the anthraquinone method, but the process is complicated and energy consuming, which is only economical for large-scale production and is harmful to the environment. The direct synthesis of H₂O₂ is considered a promising process to replace the anthraquinone method with high atomic economy, no hazardous by-products, and convenient operation, which has attracted much attention. In this review, we systematically present the recent advances in tuning the microenvironment of Pd-based catalysts for enhancing the performance of the direct synthesis of H₂O₂, including the modulation of active sites and support, from the viewpoint of the reaction mechanism. Finally, a summary and perspective on the most pressing issues and associated untapped research prospects with the direct synthesis of H₂O₂ are discussed. The purpose of this review is to provide in-depth insights and guidelines to promote the development of novel catalysts for the direct synthesis of H₂O₂.