Enhanced electrocatalytic performance of polyethyleneimine-modified CNTs composite cathode for H₂O₂ electrogeneration

In this study, Polyethyleneimine (PEI) was utilized to modulate the electronegativity of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) through a mild method to promote its electrocatalytic performance for electrosynthesis of H₂O₂. The characterization results indicate the co-doping of oxygen and nitrogen elements and the CNTs-80 (modification temperature was 80 °C) catalyst exhibited the highest content of nitrogen (4.05%) and O_II functional groups (73.5%). Accordingly, the GF/CNTs-80/PTFE cathode exhibited the highest H₂O₂ yield of 116.34 mg L⁻¹ at pH 7, suggesting that the introduction of nitrogen and oxygen-containing functional groups (carboxyl and ether groups) effectively enhances its 2e⁻ ORR performance. Furthermore, a more positive surface potential and reduced diffusion resistance were conducive to the electrochemical generation of H₂O₂. This research contributes to the understanding of surface potential modulation and highlights the potential of PEI-modified CNTs cathodes for efficient H₂O₂ electrogeneration.