A new catalyst design based on selective adsorption deposition method was developed to achieve high reaction performance in the direct synthesis of hydrogen peroxide. The activity of the unprecedented Pd/C catalyst was superior to that of the conventionally prepared Pd/C catalysts, and the initial H2O2 productivity and H-2 selectivity reached as high as 8606 mmol H2O2/g Pd.h and 95.1%, respectively. This excellent activity may result from the intrinsic structural and electronic features of the active sites, i.e., the extremely small and monodispersed Pd nanoparticles with a high Pd2+/Pd-0 ratio, which were realized by combining the selective adsorption of metal precursor cations on a negatively charged activated carbon surface and the subsequent homogeneous surface deposition of palladium hydroxide by the hydroxide ions that are slowly generated upon urea decomposition. The catalytic activity was significantly affected by the oxygen groups of the activated carbon support. The carboxyl groups do not efficiently suppress the unfavorable H-OOH dissociation but rather accelerate the H2O2 hydrolysis by forming hydrogen bonds with H2O2. Moreover, a sharp decrease in the reaction rates of H2O2 hydrogenation and direct synthesis of H2O2 was observed with the increase in the number of carboxyl groups on the activated carbon surface. This loss of activity, as confirmed by acid treatment and olefin hydrogenation experiments, implies that the carboxyl groups in close proximity to the active sites have a detrimental effect by hindering or poisoning the active sites. (C) 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.