Constructing scalable hydrophobe–water micro-interfaces for catalyst-free generation of H2O2 via macroporous resins

Catalyst-free production of H2O2 at hydrophobe–water micro-interfaces provides a sustainable synthesis route, yet its scalability remains challenging. We demonstrate that hydrophobic macroporous resins (MPRs) can serve as robust, metal-free platforms to construct scalable hydrophobic solid–water interfaces for continuous H2O2 generation, achieving a mass-normalized production rate of H2O2 as ~0.51 μmol gMPR-1 h-1 and eventually ~1 mM-level accumulation of H2O2 after one week’s stirring of the resin suspension under ambient atmosphere. Both macroporosity and hydrophobicity of MPRs are essential for the activity, and scale-up 1000 mL confirms practical feasibility. Mechanistic studies indicate that H2O2 forms predominantly via the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), optimally at pH 9. This process requires no external light or electrical energy input, exhibits high salt tolerance, and is potentially compatible with renewable power sources. This work exemplifies how porous materials can enable sustainable, scalable chemical synthesis and updates the fundamental understanding of the micro-interface reactivity. The catalyst-free production of H2O2 at hydrophobe-water micro-interfaces provides a sustainable synthesis route, yet scalability remains challenging. Here the authors demonstrate that hydrophobic macroporous resins can serve as robust, metal-free platform to construct scalable and robust hydrophobe-water interfaces for continuous H2O2 generation.