Maximizing Thiophene–Sulfur Functional Groups in Carbon Catalysts for Highly Selective H2O2 Electrosynthesis

Carbon materials are promising electrocatalysts for renewable energy devices because of their abundant availability, tunability, and structural durability in harsh electrochemical environments. Future large-scale applications require the construction of carbon materials with a clear doping configuration and high dopant loading, but this is particularly challenging. In this work, we reported a molecular weaving strategy using molecules with well-defined thiophene–sulfur (S) configuration as precursors to synthesize thiophene–S-doped carbon with a high S doping mass up to 14 wt % for hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) electrosynthesis. We theoretically and experimentally showed that the as-synthesized thiophene–S-doped carbon catalyst exhibited a selectivity exceeding 90% for H2O2 production. More significantly, we assembled a thiophene–S-doped carbon-based zinc–air battery for simultaneous H2O2 and power generation, which demonstrated a H2O2 production rate of 117.7 ± 0.2 mg·mg–1Cat·h–1 and a peak power density of 82.7 ± 0.8 mW cm–2. This work extends the practical application potential of carbon-based materials in future energy conversion and storage devices.