Overview
- Cornell’s team published the lab results in Nature Communications, detailing sunlight-driven hydrogen peroxide production from water and oxygen.
- The method uses two covalent organic frameworks, ATP-COF-1 and ATP-COF-2, engineered to absorb visible light, separate charges, and form hydrogen peroxide.
- Tests showed the COFs operate efficiently under visible light, remain stable and reusable, and deliver performance competitive with earlier photocatalysts.
- The work contrasts with the anthraquinone process that dominates industry, which relies on fossil fuels, generates waste, and requires transporting concentrated peroxide.
- Researchers are pursuing scale-up, device integration, and cost reductions, citing affordability versus the inexpensive anthraquinone route as the key hurdle.