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Researchers C Sathiskumar, C Alex and Neena S John at the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences, a unit of the Department of Science and Technology, have developed a catalyst to make low-cost hydrogen peroxide, a useful chemical. They synthesised a composite chemical called nickel cobalt phosphite (NiCo-Phi) decorated with carbon nanotubes. The chemical functioned as a catalyst for two reactions oxygen evolution and oxygen reduction. Usually, reduction reactions gaining electrons of transition metal phosphorous oxy compounds end up in the formation of hydroxyl. However, in this reaction, because the catalyst allowed two-electron transfer instead of four-electron transfer, the researchers could “tune” the reaction for the production of hydrogen peroxide. The yield was high, researchers say.