Development of Three-Dimensional Electrodes of PbO₂Electrodeposited on Reticulated Vitreous Carbon for Organic Eletrooxidation

Abstract

The application of electrochemical technology for the degradation of organic pollutants often faces two main problems, related to the anode material and mass transport limitations. Although PbO 2 electrode is inexpensive and provides satisfactory electrooxidation kinetics, in the form of plane electrodes it is unable to resolve the mass transfer problem that arises at low concentrations of organics. In this work, an electrochemical flow reactor was developed for the preparation of three-dimensional electrodes consisting of PbO 2 films electrodeposited onto reticulated vitreous carbon. The electrodes were characterized in terms of the substrate coating, morphology, structure, and electrocatalytic activity in the decoloration reaction of Reactive Blue 19 dye. The results showed that it was possible to deposit a uniform film of PbO 2 on the surface of the substrate after optimization of the current density and deposition time (0.7 mA cm -2 for 30 min). Comparison of the plane and three-dimensional electrodes revealed that the turbulence generated by the porous matrix significantly accelerated the dye decoloration kinetics, increasing 3.3-fold the first order kinetic constant (from 0.010 min -1 for VC/PbO 2 to 0.033 min -1 for RVC/PbO 2 ).

Phenol Deterioration in Refinery Wastewater through Advanced Electrochemical Oxidation Reactions Using Different Carbon Fiber and Graphite Electrodes Configurations

“…Boron-doped diamond (BDD) [25], [46], [47], SnO2-Sb [48], [49], PbO2 [2], [50], and carbonaceous anodes (e.g., glassy carbon [51], carbon felt [52], granular carbon [53]) are suitable for this purpose. However, although the BDD is chemically stable and shows excellent results in the degradation of organic compounds, it is expensive, while the SnO2-Sb electrode becomes deactivated after a period of use [54].…”

Kinetics and Energetic Parameters Study of Phenol Removal from Aqueous Solution by Electro-Fenton Advanced Oxidation Using Modified Electrodes with PbO2 and Graphene

“…Carbonous electrodes are commonly utilized as anodes in wastewater treatment because they provide high surface area per unit volume. Carbonous electrodes such as graphite have porous substrates and corrosion resistance and can be easily covered by electrodeposition of active materials on their surface, such as PbO2 [29,33]. The cathode material is also an important factor in the electrochemical oxidation processes of organic pollutants, especially in the electro-Fenton processes, because hydrogen peroxide is produced by cathodic reduction of dissolved oxygen or air.…”

The Taguchi Approach in Studying and Optimizing the Electro-Fenton Oxidation to Reduce Organic Contaminants in Refinery Wastewater Using Novel Electrodes

“…They have high surface, high porosity, corrosion resistance, and offer lowpressure drops compared to other materials because they have a large space. Examples of these electrodes are graphite [33][34][35], reticulated vitreous carbon [36], activated carbon fibers [37], and carbon nanotubes [38]. This study uses the Taguchi approach to investigate the electro-Fenton oxidation process of organic pollutants in refinery wastewater.…”