Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is widely used in almost all industrial areas, particularly in the chemical industry and environmental protection. The only degradation product of its use is water, and thus it has played a large role in environmentally friendly methods in the chemical industry. Hydrogen peroxide is produced on an industrial scale by the anthraquinone oxidation (AO) process. However, this process can hardly be considered a green method. It involves the sequential hydrogenation and oxidation of an alkylanthraquinone precursor dissolved in a mixture of organic solvents followed by liquid-liquid extraction to recover H2O2. The AO process is a multistep method that requires significant energy input and generates waste, which has a negative effect on its sustainability and production costs. The transport, storage, and handling of bulk H2O2 involve hazards and escalating expenses. Thus, novel, cleaner methods for the production of H2O2 are being explored. The direct synthesis of H2O2 from O2 and H2 using a variety of catalysts, and the factors influencing the formation and decomposition of H2O2 are examined in detail in this Review.

Environmental concerns have driven the need to remove sulfur-containing compounds from light oil. As the oxidative desulfurization is conducted under very mild reaction conditions, much attention has been recently devoted to this process. In this contribution, the developments in selective removal of organosulfur compounds present in liquid fuels via oxidative desulfurization, including both the chemical oxidation and biodesulfurization, are reviewed. At the end of each section, a brief account of the research directions needed in this field is also included.

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Density functional theory was employed to calculate the adsorption/dissociation of H2 on gold surfaces, Au(111) and Au(100), and on gold particles from 0.7 (Au14) to 1.2 nm (Au29). Flat surfaces of the bulk metal were not active towards H2, but a different effect was observed in gold nanoclusters, where the hydrogen was adsorbed through a dissociative pathway. Several parameters such as the coordination of the Au atoms, ensemble effects and fluxionality of the particle were analyzed to explain the observed activity. The effect of the employed functional was also studied. The flexibility of the structure, i.e., its adaptability towards the adsorbate, plays a key role in the bonding and dissociation of H2. The interaction with hydrogen leads to drastic changes in the structure of the Au nanoparticles. Furthermore, it appears that not only low coordinated Au atoms are needed because H2 adsorption/dissociation was only observed when a cooperation between several (4) active Au atoms was allowed.

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