An oxygen reduction catalytic process through superoxo adsorption states on n-type doped h-BN: A first-principles study

•Oxygen molecular binding on the n-type doped h-BN.•Adsorbed oxygen molecular adsorption state with superoxo or peroxo state on h-BN, without transition metal.•Oxygen reduction reaction free energy profile of the oxygen adsorption state on h-BN.

Dioxygen adsorption and activation on metal-ligand systems are the key elements for biological oxidative metabolisms and also catalyst design for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). We show, through first-principles calculations, that similar dioxygen adducts can form on metal-free n-type doped hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) nanostructures. The density of electron donors determines the charge state of dioxygen, either in superoxo and peroxo, which exactly correlates with the ‘end-on’ and ‘side-on’ configurations, respectively. Activated O2 in the superoxo state shows a better catalytic performance possibly mediating the direct four-electron reduction. The formation of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is practically eliminated, and thus we suggest that a surface coated with the n-type doped h-BN can be the basis for an ORR catalyst with increased stability.

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