Synergistic Zn-Cd Bimetallic Engineering in ZIFs for High-Chloride 2e ORR to HO in Simulated Neutral Seawater.

Marine biofouling causes significant economic losses, and conventional antifouling methods are often associated with environmental pollution. Hydrogen peroxide (HO), as a clean energy source, has gained increasing attention in recent years. Meanwhile, electrocatalytic 2e oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) for HO production has received growing interest. However, the majority of current studies are conducted on acidic or alkaline electrolytes, and research on 2e ORR in neutral NaCl solutions remains rare. Here, a bimetallic Zn-Cd zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZnCd-ZIF) is rationally designed to achieve chloride-resistant 2e ORR catalysis under simulated seawater conditions (pH 7.5, 3.5% Cl). Experimental results demonstrate that the ZnCd-ZIF catalyst exhibits an exceptional HO selectivity of 70% at 0.3 V, surpassing monometallic Zn-ZIF (60%) and Cd-ZIF (50%). Notably, HO production reaches 120 mmol g in a Cl-containing neutral electrolyte, exhibiting strong resistance to structural corrosion and Cl poisoning. This work not only pioneers an effective strategy for designing ORR catalysts adapted to marine environments but also advances the practical implementation of seawater-based electrochemical HO synthesis.