Shift of the reactive species in the Sb-SnO2-electrocatalyzed inactivation of e. coli and degradation of phenol: effects of nickel doping and electrolytes

Environ Sci Technol. 2014;48(5):2877-84. doi: 10.1021/es404688z. Epub 2014 Feb 24.

Abstract

The electrocatalytic behavior and anodic performance of Sb-SnO2 and nickel-doped Sb-SnO2 (Ni-Sb-SnO2) in sodium sulfate and sodium chloride electrolytes were compared. Nickel-doping increased the service lifetime by a factor of 9 and decreased the charge transfer resistance of the Sb-SnO2 electrodes by 65%. More importantly, Ni doping improved the electrocatalytic performance of Sb-SnO2 for the remediation of aqueous phenol and the inactivation of E. coli by a factor of more than 600% and ∼20%, respectively. In the sulfate electrolyte, the primary reactive oxygen species (ROS) identified were OH radicals (Faradaic efficiency η = 2.4%) with trace levels of ozone and hydrogen peroxide (η < 0.01%) at Sb-SnO2. In contrast, the primary ROS at Ni-Sb-SnO2 was ozone (η = 9.3%) followed by OH radicals (η = 3.7%). In the chloride electrolyte, the production of hypochlorite (OCl(-)) was higher (η = 0.73%) than that of ozone (η = 0.13%) at Sb-SnO2, whereas the level of ozone (η = 13.6%) was much higher than that of hypochlorite (η = 0.24%) at Ni-Sb-SnO2. Based on the shift of the reactive species, the primary effect of Ni doping is to catalyze the six-electron oxidation of water to ozone and inhibit the competing one or two-electron oxidation of water (generation of OH radicals, hydrogen peroxides, and hypochlorites). A range of electrochemical and surface analyses were performed, and a detailed mechanism was proposed.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antimony / chemistry*
  • Catalysis
  • Catalytic Domain
  • Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid
  • Colony Count, Microbial
  • Electrochemical Techniques
  • Electrolytes
  • Escherichia coli / metabolism*
  • Escherichia coli / ultrastructure
  • Nickel / chemistry*
  • Phenol / chemistry*
  • Tin Compounds / chemistry*

Substances

  • Electrolytes
  • Tin Compounds
  • Phenol
  • Nickel
  • Antimony
  • stannic oxide