Enhanced catalytic degradation by using RGO-Ce/WO3 nanosheets modified CF as electro-Fenton cathode: Influence factors, reaction mechanism and pathways

Xueyue Mi; Jingjing Han; Yan Sun; Yi Li; Wenping Hu; Sihui Zhan

doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2018.12.074

Enhanced catalytic degradation by using RGO-Ce/WO₃ nanosheets modified CF as electro-Fenton cathode: Influence factors, reaction mechanism and pathways

J Hazard Mater. 2019 Apr 5:367:365-374. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2018.12.074. Epub 2018 Dec 26.

Authors

Xueyue Mi¹, Jingjing Han², Yan Sun¹, Yi Li³, Wenping Hu², Sihui Zhan⁴

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria (Ministry of Education), College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China.
² Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Optoelectronic Sciences, Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Tianjin University & Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Tianjin 300072, China.
³ Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Optoelectronic Sciences, Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Tianjin University & Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Tianjin 300072, China. Electronic address: liyi@tju.edu.cn.
⁴ Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria (Ministry of Education), College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China. Electronic address: sihuizhan@gmail.com.

PMID: 30609402
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2018.12.074

Abstract

Development of an efficient cathode in advanced oxidation process is an important challenge. In this work, we synthesized a low-cost, high-catalytic-active and stable reduced graphene oxide (RGO)-Ce/WO₃ nanosheets (RCW) to modify carbon felt (CF) as cathode to degrade ciprofloxacin (CIP) in electro-Fenton process. Compared to traditional heterogeneous electro-Fenton process, carbon black was substituted by RGO and poly tetra fluoroethylene was avoided to be used as binder. We found that RCW/CF cathode reached about 100% degradation efficiency of CIP after 1 h and 98.55% mineralization degree after 8 h. Meanwhile, it had a very high current density, about 2.5 times that of CF. RCW/CF cathode produced more O₂^-, H₂O₂ and OH via one-electron reduction process (O₂→O₂- →H₂O₂). The modified cathode kept a stable performance for high CIP degradation efficiency during 5 cycles. The introduction of RGO could promote electron transfer, and the adding of Ce into the WO₃ lattice provided superior conditions for the adsorption and activation of oxygen molecules, thus promoting the formation of active oxygen species on the surface of RCW. This novel RCW/CF composite is an efficient and promising electrode for removal of CIP in the wastewater.

Keywords: Carbon felt; Degradation; Electro-Fenton; RGO-Ce/WO(3) nanosheets.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't