Electrocatalytic hydro-dehalogenation of halogenated organic pollutants from wastewater: A critical review

Halogenated organic pollutants are often found in wastewater effluent although it has been usually treated by advanced oxidation processes. Atomic hydrogen (H*)-mediated electrocatalytic dehalogenation, with an outperformed performance for breaking the strong carbon-halogen bonds, is of increasing significance for the efficient removal of halogenated organic compounds from water and wastewater. This review consolidates the recent advances in the electrocatalytic hydro-dehalogenation of toxic halogenated organic pollutants from contaminated water. The effect of the molecular structure (e.g., the number and type of halogens, electron-donating or electron-withdrawing groups) on dehalogenation reactivity is firstly predicted, revealing the nucleophilic properties of the existing halogenated organic pollutants. The specific contribution of the direct electron transfer and atomic hydrogen (H*)-mediated indirect electron transfer to dehalogenation efficiency has been established, aiming to better understand the dehalogenation mechanisms. The analyses of entropy and enthalpy illustrate that low pH has a lower energy barrier than that of high pH, facilitating the transformation from proton to H*. Furthermore, the quantitative relationship between dehalogenation efficiency and energy consumption shows an exponential increase of energy consumption for dehalogenation efficiency increasing from 90% to 100%. Lastly, challenges and perspectives are discussed for efficient dehalogenation and practical applications.

Surface and morphology analyses, and voltammetry studies for electrochemical determination of cerium(iii) using a graphene nanobud-modified-carbon felt electrode in acidic buffer solution (pH 4.0 ± 0.05)

Trace determination of radioactive waste, especially Ce³⁺, by electrochemical methods has rarely been attempted. Ce³⁺ is (i) a fluorescence quencher, (ii) an antiferromagnet, and (iii) a superconductor, and it has been incorporated into fast scintillators, LED phosphors, and fluorescent lamps. Although Ce³⁺ has been utilized in many industries due to its specific properties, it causes severe health problems to human beings because of its toxicity. Nanomaterials with fascinating electrical properties can play a vital role in the fabrication of a sensor device to detect the analyte of interest. In the present study, surfactant-free 1,8-diaminonaphthalene (DAN)-functionalized graphene quantum dots (DAN-GQDs) with nanobud (NB) morphology were utilized for the determination of Ce³⁺ through electrochemical studies. The working electrode, graphene nanobud (GNB)-modified-carbon felt (CF), was developed by a simple drop-coating method for the sensitive detection of Ce³⁺ in acetate buffer solution (ABS, pH 4.0 ± 0.05) at a scan rate of 50 mV s⁻¹ using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) techniques. CV and DPV studies validated the existence of distinctive peaks at approximately +0.20 and +0.93 V (vs. SCE), respectively, with a limit of detection of approximately 2.60 μM. Furthermore, electrochemical studies revealed that the GNB-modified-CF electrode was (i) stable even after fifteen cycles, (ii) reproducible, (iii) selective towards Ce³⁺, (iv) strongly pH-dependent, and (v) favored Ce³⁺ sensing only at pH 4.0 ± 0.05. Impedance spectroscopy results indicated that the GNB-modified-CF electrode was more conductive (1.38 × 10⁻⁴ S m⁻¹) and exhibited more rapid electron transfer than bare CF, which agrees with the attained Randles equivalent circuit. Microscopy (AFM, FE-SEM, and HR-TEM), spectroscopy (XPS and Raman), XRD, and energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) analyses of the GNB-modified-CF electrode confirmed the adsorption of Ce³⁺ onto the electrode surface and the size of the electrode material. Ce³⁺ nanobuds increased from 35–40 to 50–55 nm without changing their morphology. The obtained results provide an insight into the determination of Ce³⁺ to develop an electrochemical device with low sensitivity.

GNB-modified – CF electrode was utilized to determine Ce³⁺ with LoD ca. 2.60 μM.

Bi2O3 Nanoparticles Decorated Carbon Nanotube: An Effective Nanoelectrode for Enhanced Electrocatalytic 4-Nitrophenol Reduction

4-Nitrophenol (4-NP) is present in most industrial waste water resources as an organic pollutant, and is a highly toxic and environmentally hazardous pollutant. Herein, we report that bismuth oxide (Bi2O3) decorated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (Bi2O3@MWCNTs) are the most prominent electrocatalyst for 4-NP electroreduction in acidic conditions. The electrocatalyst is synthesized by a simple chemical reduction method using ethylene glycol as a capping agent. The synthesized Bi2O3@MWCNTs electrocatalyst has been well-characterized by Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Raman spectroscopy. Bi2O3@MWCNTs have a cubic structure which is confirmed by XRD. TEM imaging reveals Bi2O3 NPs are ~2 nm in size, are grown on MWCNTs and that these nanoparticles are active toward 4-NP electroreduction. The electrochemical studies by cyclic voltammetry measurements show that the Bi2O3@MWCNTs electrocatalyst can sense 4-NP at a very low potential i.e., -0.17 vs. saturated calomel electrode (SCE). Furthermore, electroanalytical parameters like scan rate and concentration dependence were studied with electrochemcial impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and the effect of pH on cathodic current was examined under experimental conditions. The lower limit of detection (LOD) was found to be 0.1 μM for the Bi2O3@MWCNTs nanomaterial and is excellent toward 4-NP. The present study has applications for reducing water pollution and for sorting out related issues.

A Polypyrrole-Modified Pd-Ag Bimetallic Electrode for the Electrocatalytic Reduction of 4-Chlorophenol

A polypyrrole-modified bimetallic electrode composed of Pd-Ag on a Ti substrate (Pd-Ag/PPY/Ti) was successfully prepared via a chemical deposition method, and was applied to the electrocatalytic hydrodechlorination of 4-chlorophenol (4-CP) in aqueous solution. The electrode was characterized by cyclic voltammetry (CV), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Various influences on the dechlorination efficiency of 4-chlorophenol, including applied current, initial pH value, and temperature, were studied. The dechlorination efficiency of 4-CP reached 94% within 120 min under the optimum conditions, i.e., a dechlorination current of 6 mA, an initial pH of 2.30, and a temperature of 303 K. The apparent activation energy of the dechlorination of 4-CP by the Pd-Ag/PPY/Ti electrode was calculated to be 49.6 kJ/mol. The equivalent conversion rate constant kPd was 0.63 L.gPd−1·min−1, which was higher than the findings presented in comparable literature. Thus, a highly effective bimetallic electrode with promising application prospects and low Pd loading was fabricated.

Effect of the supports on catalytic activity of Pd catalysts for liquid-phase hydrodechlorination/hydrogenation reaction

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs), activated carbon (AC), graphene, and aluminum oxide (Al₂O₃) supported 5% Pd catalysts were prepared by the conventional impregnation method, and catalytic activity was tested in the hydrogenation of 4-chlorophenol (4-CP) and nitrobenzene (NB) under ambient conditions (313 K and atmospheric pressure). It was found that catalytic activity was greatly affected by the supports. Moreover, Pd/CNTs catalyst exhibited much higher catalytic activity than the other three supported Pd catalysts. The mechanism of this phenomenon was studied through catalyst characterization (ICP-MS, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller [BET], TEM, and SEM). It was found that the mean particle size of Pd nanoparticles for Pd/CNTs (4.3 nm) was smaller than that for Pd/AC (6.9 nm), Pd/Al₂O₃ (5.0 nm), and Pd/graphene (5.2 nm). Moreover, the actual loading amounts of Pd and BET surface areas were not the main reasons for the different catalytic activity of the four supported Pd catalysts. Above all, the smaller Pd particles of Pd/CNTs enabled the Pd/CNTs catalyst to exhibit much higher catalytic activity for the hydrogenation reactions.

Enhanced electrocatalytic hydrodechlorination of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid by a Pd-Co3O4/Ni foam electrode

A new Pd-Co₃O₄/Ni foam electrode was synthesized by a facile two-step method comprising co-electrodeposition and calcination. Compared with Ni foam-supported Pd electrodes obtained by electrodeposition or chemical deposition, the new Pd-Co₃O₄/Ni foam electrode exhibited greatly enhanced catalytic hydrodechlorination activity. The introduction of Co₃O₄ reduced the amount of Pd required. For the same degree of dechlorination of 2,4-D, only 25% of the Pd was required in the Pd-Co₃O₄/Ni foam electrode compared with the Ni foam electrode prepared by chemical deposition. Various characterizations indicated that Co₃O₄ on the surface of the Ni foam enhanced catalytic performance through accelerated generation of atomic H*. In addition, the good distribution of macropores, providing a larger specific surface area and lower electron transfer impedance, enabled more adsorption of atomic .

The Pd-Co₃O₄/Ni foam electrode enhanced the electrocatalytic dechlorination performance.

The Preparation of Pd/Foam-Ni Electrode and Its Electrocatalytic Hydrodechlorination for Monochlorophenol Isomers

Noble metal palladium modified foamed nickel electrode (Pd/foam-Ni) was prepared by electrodeposition method. The fabricated electrode showed better catalytic performance than the Pd/foam-Ni prepared by conventional electroless deposition. The catalysts were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Electrocatalytic activity of the Pd/Ni was studied for the hydrodechlorination of monochlorophenol isomers. The Pd/Ni exhibited good catalytic activity for 3-chlorophenol (3-CP). Complete decomposition of chlorophenol isomers could be achieved within 2 h, and the hydrodechlorination process conformed to the pseudo-first-order kinetic model. It showed a supreme stability after recycling for 5 times. The Pd/Ni exhibited a promising application prospect with high effectiveness and low Pd loading.