High-performance carbon black electrode for oxygen reduction reaction and oxidation of atrazine by electro-Fenton process

Abstract

The aim of this study is to produce an electrode that can be used in H₂O₂ production and Electro-Fenton (EF) process by an effective, cheap, and easy method. For this reason, a superhydrophobic electrode with a higher PTFE ratio and high thickness was produced with a simple press. The produced electrode was used in the production of H₂O₂ and mineralization of Atrazine. First, the effect of pH, cathode voltage, and operation time on H₂O₂ production was evaluated. The maximum H₂O₂ concentration (409 mg/L), the highest current efficiency (99.80%), and the lowest electrical energy consumption (3.16 kWh/kg) were obtained at 0.8 V, 7.0 of pH, and 120 min, and the stability of the electrode was evaluated up to 720 min. Then, the effects of the operational conditions (pH, cathode voltage, operating time, and catalyst concentration) in electro-Fenton were evaluated. The fastest degradation of Atrazine (>99%) was obtained at 2.0 V, 3.0 of pH, and 0.3 mM of Fe²⁺ in 15 min. In the final part of the study, the degradation intermediates were identified, and the characterization of the electrode was evaluated by SEM, XRD, FT-IR, tensiometer, potentiostat, and elemental analyzer.

Keywords: Atrazine; Carbon black; Electro-fenton; Electro-oxidation; Hydrogen peroxide.