Making eco-friendly disinfectants from discarded wood! KIST develops high-efficiency carbon catalyst
Development of an eco-friendly carbon catalyst capable of producing hydrogen peroxide using waste lignin
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This process involves using lignin, a sustainable biopolymer, as a precursor to form a cross-linked lignin structure via the Friedel-Crafts reaction, followed by a carbonization process to produce a lignin-based carbon catalyst. The composition of oxygen functional groups on the carbon surface varies depending on the carbonization temperature, and the selectivity for hydrogen peroxide production in the oxygen reduction reaction changes through the regulation of these functional groups. In particular, C=O functional groups induce high hydrogen peroxide selectivity, whereas OH functional groups tend to inhibit selectivity.
view moreCredit: Korea Institute of Science and Technology
Hydrogen peroxide, a versatile chemical used in a wide range of applications-from medical disinfectants to semiconductor manufacturing and water treatment-is an essential substance with global annual production exceeding tens of millions of tons. However, its production still relies on large-scale, energy-intensive facilities, and its transportation and storage involve high costs and significant safety management challenges. Recently, eco-friendly technologies that use electricity to directly produce hydrogen peroxide from water and oxygen have garnered attention; however, the catalytic performance and associated cost, which critically govern reaction efficiency, remain key barriers to practical implementation.
A research team led by Dr. Lee Young Jun of the RAMP Convergence Research Group at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST; President Oh Sang-rok), in collaboration with research teams led by Professor Yun Hongseok of Hanyang University and Professor Kang Junhee of Pusan National University, focused on lignin-a wood byproduct discarded in the timber industry-to overcome these limitations. The research team designed and developed a carbon-based catalyst capable of selectively generating hydrogen peroxide through electrochemical reactions using lignin, and demonstrated hydrogen peroxide production with a selectivity exceeding 95% under experimental conditions. This performance is comparable to that of conventional precious metal-based catalysts, and is significant in that it simultaneously achieves cost-effectiveness and high catalytic efficiency.
In particular, this study went beyond simply converting biomass into carbon materials; it applied a strategy to precisely control the fine chemical structure of the catalyst surface. The research team focused on the fact that the types and distribution of various oxygen functional groups on the catalyst surface have a decisive influence on the selectivity and efficiency of the hydrogen peroxide generation reaction. To verify this, they conducted experiments to gradually modulate the structure of the functional groups and selectively remove specific ones. As a result, they confirmed that this approach could suppress unnecessary reaction pathways and further enhance the hydrogen peroxide generation reaction.
Furthermore, by systematically analyzing the correlation between these surface chemical structures and reaction performance, they established design criteria for identifying which structural elements induce highly efficient reactions. This serves as a crucial fundamental principle that can be utilized in the design of catalysts for various electrochemical reactions in the future, and offers broad applicability across diverse sustainable chemical processes.
This achievement demonstrates the potential to convert waste biomass into high-value-added functional materials while also paving the way for energy-efficient, decentralized chemical production technologies. In particular, it is expected to contribute to the establishment of "on-site production" systems that generate hydrogen peroxide directly in the quantities needed at each location, thereby helping to reduce costs and improve safety across various industrial sectors, including water treatment, disinfection, and semiconductor manufacturing.
Lee Young Jun, a senior researcher at KIST, stated, "This is significant because we have developed a technology that efficiently produces hydrogen peroxide-an eco-friendly disinfectant-using waste wood byproducts," adding, "We plan to further enhance the catalyst's performance for application in various industrial settings."
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KIST was established in 1966 as the first government-funded research institute in Korea. KIST now strives to solve national and social challenges and secure growth engines through leading and innovative research. For more information, please visit KIST’s website at https://kist.re.kr/eng/index.do
This research was conducted with support from the Ministry of Science and ICT (Minister Bae Kyung-hoon) through the KIST Convergence Research Center Program (CRC23013-000), the Nano and Materials Technology Development Program (RS-2025-25442300), and the University-Based Research Center Support Program (2020R1A6A1A06046728). The findings of this study were published in the latest issue of the international journal *Applied Catalysis B: Environment and Energy* (IF 21.1, JCR field 0.6%).
It was confirmed that the composition of oxygen-containing functional groups (C=O, C-O, O-C=O, etc.) on the carbon surface changes depending on the carbonization temperature of the lignin-based carbon catalyst. Furthermore, a comparison of the electrochemical specific surface area (ECSA), electron transfer number (n), hydrogen peroxide selectivity, and production rate for each catalyst revealed that the catalyst prepared at 900 °C exhibited high hydrogen peroxide production performance in the oxygen reduction reaction. (CCL3: Carbon catalyst prepared by carbonizing lignin at 300 °C; CCL6: Carbon catalyst prepared by carbonizing lignin at 600 °C; CCL9: Carbon catalyst prepared by carbonizing lignin at 900 °C; CCL12: Carbon catalyst prepared by carbonizing lignin at 1200 °C)
This figure schematically illustrates the electrochemical reaction in a hydrogen cell under oxygen-saturated conditions using a lignin-based carbon catalyst as the working electrode, showing the process by which hydrogen peroxide is generated through the oxygen reduction reaction. A comparison of the hydrogen peroxide production rate with various reported catalysts confirms that the catalyst developed in this study exhibits high hydrogen peroxide production performance.
(CCL9: Carbon catalyst prepared by carbonizing lignin at 900 °C; CCL9-BA: Carbon catalyst with selectively blocked -OH groups on the surface)
Credit
Korea Institute of Science and Technology
Journal
Applied Catalysis B Environment and Energy
Article Title
Hydroxyl-blocking lignin-derived carbon catalysts for selective and durable hydrogen peroxide electrosynthesis
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