Electrooxidation of Phenol on Polyelectrolyte Modified Carbon Electrodes for Use in Insulin Pump Infusion Sets

BACKGROUND

Many type 1 diabetes patients using continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) suffer from the phenomenon of unexplained hypoglycemia or "site loss." Site loss is hypothesized to be caused by toxic excipients, for example, phenolic compounds within insulin formulations that are used as preservatives and stabilizers. Here, we develop a bioinspired polyelectrolyte-modified carbon electrode for effective electrooxidative removal of phenol from insulin and eventual incorporations into an infusion set of a CSII device.

METHODS

We modified a carbon screen printed electrode (SPE) with poly-L-lysine (PLL) to avoid passivation due to polyphenol deposition while still removing phenolic compounds from insulin injections. We characterized these electrodes using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and compared their data with data from bare SPEs. Furthermore, we performed electrochemical measurements to determine the extent of passivation, and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) measurements to confirm both the removal of phenol and the integrity of insulin after phenol removal.

RESULTS

Voltammetry measurements show that electrode passivation due to polyphenol deposition is reduced by a factor of 2X. HPLC measurements confirm a 10x greater removal of phenol by our modified electrodes relative to bare electrodes.

CONCLUSION

Using bioinspired polyelectrolytes to modify a carbon electrode surface aids in the electrooxidation of phenolic compounds from insulin and is a step toward integration within an infusion set for mitigating site loss.

Treatment of tomato paste wastewater by electrochemical and membrane processes: process optimization and cost calculation

This study investigated the treatment of wastewater from tomato paste (TP) production using electrocoagulation (EC) and electrooxidation (EO). The effectiveness of water recovery from the pretreated water was then investigated using the membrane process. For this purpose, the effects of independent control variables, including electrode type (aluminum, iron, graphite, and stainless steel), current density (25-75 A/m2), and electrolysis time (15-120 min) on chemical oxygen demand (COD) and color removal were investigated. The results showed that 81.0% of COD and 100% of the color removal were achieved by EC at a current density of 75 A/m2, a pH of 6.84 and a reaction time of 120 min aluminum electrodes. In comparison, EO with graphite electrodes achieved 55.6% of COD and 100% of the color removal under similar conditions. The operating cost was calculated to be in the range of $0.56-30.62/m3. Overall, the results indicate that EO with graphite electrodes is a promising pretreatment process for the removal of various organics. In the membrane process, NP030, NP010, and NF90 membranes were used at a volume of 250 mL and 5 bar. A significant COD removal rate of 94% was achieved with the membrane. The combination of EC and the membrane process demonstrated the feasibility of water recovery from TP wastewater.

Electrochemical Characterization of a Novel Organoelectrocatalyst, 7-Azabicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-7-ol (ABHOL), and Its Application to Electrochemical Sensors

Electrochemical enzyme sensors are suitable for simple monitoring methods, for example, as glucose sensors for diabetic patients; however, they have several disadvantages arising from the properties of the enzyme. Therefore, non-enzymatic electrochemical sensors using functional molecules are being developed. In this paper, we report the electrochemical characterization of a new hydroxylamine compound, 7-azabicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-7-ol (ABHOL), and its application to glucose sensing. Although the cyclic voltammogram for the first cycle was unstable, it was reproducible after the second cycle, enabling electrochemical analysis of ethanol and glucose. In the first cycle, ABHOL caused complex reactions, including electrochemical oxidation and comproportionation with the generated oxoammonium ions. The electrochemical probe performance of ABHOL was more efficient than the typical nitroxyl radical compound, 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (TEMPO), and had similar efficiency to 9-azabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane N-oxyl (ABNO), which is activated by the bicyclic structure. The results demonstrated the advantages of ABHOL, which can be synthesized from inexpensive materials via simple methods.

Self-Reconstruction of Sulfate-Terminated Copper Oxide Nanorods for Efficient and Stable 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural Electrooxidation

The electrochemical 5-hydroxymethylfurfural oxidation reaction (HMFOR) has been regarded as a viable alternative to sustainable biomass valorization. However, the transformation of the catalysts under harsh electrooxidation conditions remains controversial. Herein, we confirm the self-construction of cuprous sulfide nanosheets (Cu2S NSs) into sulfate-terminated copper oxide nanorods (CuO-SO42- NRs) during the first-cycle of the HMFOR, which achieves a near-quantitative synthesis of 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) with a >99.9% yield and faradaic efficiency without deactivation in 15 successive cycles. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopies confirm that the surface SO42- effectively reduces the onset potential for HMFOR, while in situ Raman spectroscopies identify a reversible transformation from CuII-O to CuIII-OOH in HMFOR. Furthermore, density functional theory calculations reveal that the surface SO42- weakens the Cu-OH bonds in CuOOH to promote the rate-determining step of its coupling with the C atom in HMF-H* resulting from HMF hydrogenation, which synergistically enhances the catalytic activity of CuO-SO42- NRs toward HMF-to-FDCA conversion.

A Facile Glycerol-Assisted Synthesis of Low-Cu2+-Doped CoFe2O4 for Electrochemical Sensing of Acetaminophen

This work devised a simple glycerol-assisted synthesis of a low-Cu2+-doped CoFe2O4 and the electrochemical detection of acetaminophen (AC). During the synthesis, several polyalcohols were tested, indicating the efficiency of glycerin as a cosolvent, aiding in the creation of electrode-modifier nanomaterials. A duration of standing time (eight hours) before calcination produces a decrease in the secondary phase of hematite. The synthesized material was used as an electrode material in the detection of AC. In acidic conditions (pH 2.5), the limit of detection (LOD) was 99.4 nM, while the limit of quantification (LOQ) was found to be (331 nM). The relative standard deviation (RSD), 3.31%, was computed. The enhanced electrocatalytic activity of a low-Cu2+-doped CoFe2O4-modified electrode Cu0.13Co0.87Fe2O4/GCE corresponds extremely well with its resistance Rct, which was determined using the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) technique and defined its electron transfer capacity. The possibility of a low-Cu2+-doped CoFe2O4 for the electrochemical sensing of AC in human urine samples was studied. The recovery rates ranging from 96.5 to 101.0% were obtained. These findings suggested that the Cu0.13Co0.87Fe2O4/GCE sensor has outstanding practicability and could be utilized to detect AC content in real complex biological samples.

Treatment of tequila distillation volatile residues by electrochemical oxidation using titanium electrodes

Tequila production occurs in Mexico's designated area of origin, principally in the Jalisco State. Its residues are a challenge in treatment and tracking due to a lack of technology, non-economic treatments available, low environmental consciousness and incipient control from authorities. In 2021, average production was close to 1.5 million tequila litres per day with an estimated residue yield of 10-12 litres of stillage (tequila vinasses) per tequila litre produced, including volatile fractions. This research aims to reduce organic matter by electrooxidation (EO) from 5 distillation volatile residual effluents (two-stage still distillation) from three tequila distilleries, first and second-stage heads and heads and tails and second-stage non-evaporated fraction. Round 3 mm titanium (grade-1) electrodes (one anode and one cathode) were used, with fixed voltage to a value of 30 VDC at 0, 3, 6, 9 and 12 h with 75 experiments. Gas chromatography was used to analyse methanol, ethanol, acetaldehyde, ethyl acetate, n-propanol, sec-butanol, iso-butanol, n-butanol, iso-amyl, n-amyl, and ethyl lactate content. Treatment shows positive results, reducing organic matter content in all effluents in a Chemical Oxygen Demand COD range of 580-1880 mg/L.h, particularly useful in the second-stage non-evaporated fraction for water recovery.HIGHLIGHTSResidual effluent treatment is beneficial to environmental and resource sustainability.Process without adding materials achieving cleaner treated effluents.Process aimed as the final step to recover water.This process could help the Tequila industry to reach a higher sustainability level by reducing water usage and untreated residues.

Operando Forming of Lattice Vacancy Defect in Ultrathin Crumpled NiVW-Layered Metal Hydroxides Nanosheets for Valorization of Biomass

The 2D layered metal hydroxides (LMHs) have been developed for electrooxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF). In this work, an effective strategy is proposed to tailor the electronic structure of active sites at the atomic level, which is by introducing defects into the lattice structure. As an example, a series of ultrathin crumpled ternary NiVW-LMH electrocatalysts with abundant lattice vacancies (denoted as NiVW_v -LMH) are prepared in this way. The introduction of tungsten (W) endows the catalyst with a special crumpled structure, which promotes the generation of lattice vacancies and thus exposes more unsaturated Ni activity sites. The NiVW_v -LMH displays superb performance in the electrooxidation of HMF. The Tafel slope for electrodehydrogenation of Ni²⁺ OH bond to Ni(OH)O species is 12.04 mV dec^-1 . The current density at 1.43 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) toward the oxidation reaction of HMF reaches about 193 mA cm^-2 , which is better than most of the common electrocatalysts, with an 5.37-fold improvement compared with Ni(OH)₂ electrode. The preparation strategy demonstrates in this work can be useful for developing highly efficient electrocatalysts.

Evaluating UV254 absorbance reductions in landfill leachate for municipal sewage co-treatment through timed UV/electrooxidation

Landfill leachate contains dissolved organic matter (DOM) exhibiting high ultraviolet absorbance at 254 nm (UVA₂₅₄). The UVA₂₅₄ limits leachate co-treatment with municipal sewage by hindering the downstream UV disinfection efficiency at wastewater treatment plants. Here, we alleviated the UVA₂₅₄ by timing the radiation in a UV/electrooxidation (UV/EO) process to accelerate reactive species formation. At 200 A·m^-2, the UV radiation was delayed by 10 min to accumulate 21 mg·L^-1 as Cl₂, which enhanced the initial radical formation rate by 5.25 times compared with a simultaneous UV/EO. The timed operation increased the steady-state concentrations of ClO^• by 700 times to 4.11 × 10^-14 M and reduced the leachate UVA₂₅₄ by 78.2% after 60 min. We identified that aromatic formulas with low oxygen content were susceptible to UV/EO from Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry analysis. The toxicity of the treated leachate and generated byproducts was assessed through specific oxygen uptake rates (SOUR) and developmental assays with Platynereis dumerilii. After quenching the residual chlorine, leachate co-treatment at 3.5% v/v presented minimal toxicological risk. Our findings provide operational insights for applying UV/EO in high UVA₂₅₄ matrices such as landfill leachate.

Electroactive and SERS-Active Ag@Cu2O NP-Programed Aptasensor for Dual-Mode Detection of Tetrodotoxin

Dual-mode nanotags with noninterference sensing signals improved the detection accuracy and sensitivity for the applications of tetrodotoxin (TTX) monitoring. Electroactive and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-active Ag@Cu2O nanoparticles (NPs) were fabricated and displayed two electrooxidation signals at -0.13 and 0.17 V, attributed to the oxidization process of Cu+ and Ag0, respectively. Ag@Cu2O NPs were also found to exhibit stronger SERS performances than individual Ag NPs. The dielectric Cu2O shell with a large dielectric constant inhibited the attenuation of electromagnetic (EM) waves of Ag NPs, which strengthened the EM fields for SERS enhancement. The electron transfer from Ag to Cu2O to 4-aminothiophenol (4-ATP) also contributed to the SERS performances. Ag@Cu2O NPs were modified by TTX aptamers and assembled with MXene nanosheets (NSs) due to the large surface, good conductivity, and inherent Raman properties. The assemblies showed two-peaked electrooxidation signals and prominent SERS activity. An electrochemical detection curve was established by using the total peak intensity at -0.13 and 0.17 V as detection signals, and a ratiometric SERS detection curve was developed by applying the intensity at 1078 cm-1 (4-ATP) as the detection signal and 730 cm-1 (MXene NSs) as the reference signal. An electrochemical and SERS signal-programed dual-mode aptasensor was proposed for accurate TTX detection, with the limits of detection of 31.6 pg/mL for the electrochemical signal and 38.3 pg/mL for the SERS signal. The rational design of plasmonic metal-semiconductor heterogeneous nanocomposites had important prospects in establishing a multimodal biosensing platform for the quantitative and accurate detection of analytes in complex systems.

Photovoltaic-driven electrochemical remediation of drilling fluid wastewater with simultaneous hydrogen production

In this work, we studied the application of photovoltaic solar energy for driving the electrochemical processes of electrocoagulation and electrooxidation to remediate drilling fluid wastewater, and simultaneously harvest energy in the form of electrolytic hydrogen gas produced at the cathode. The electrocoagulation was performed with sacrificial aluminium electrodes and electrooxidation with dimensionally stable boron-doped diamond electrodes in batch-wise and continuously operated mode, and their efficiency in both pollutants removal and hydrogen gas production was elucidated. The parameters affecting the efficiency of the applied electrochemical processes, such as applied current density, pH, electroprocessing time and flow rate, were investigated. The electrochemical processing was monitored by measuring the chemical oxygen demand (COD) of treated wastewater. The electrocoagulation treatment conducted with current densities of 30, 60 and 90 mA/cm² reduced the wastewater COD by about 67%, whereas the electrooxidation treatment at the same conditions yielded a COD removal of over 95%. The amount of produced hydrogen was 171 L/g COD removed from treated wastewater.

Electrocatalytic Activities of a Platinum Nanostructured Electrode Modified by Gold Adatom toward Methanol and Glycerol Electrooxidation in Acid and Alkaline Media

For practical applications such as fuel cells, it is important to exploit electrocatalysis with high activity for methanol and glycerol oxidation. A platinum nanostructured electrode (PtNPs) is modified by gold adatoms and is created by application of a square wave potential regime to a tantalum surface electrode. In nanostructured platinum, the structure and the surface properties are characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and cyclic voltammetry (CV). In acid and alkaline media, the CV and Chronoamperometric (CA) are studied to investigate the catalytic activity of the PtNPs nanoparticles for the electrooxidation of methanol and glycerol. The prepared nanostructured platinum on a tantalum electrode was allowed to balance an open circuit with a 1.0×10^-3 M solution containing an Au ion. Consequently, the proximity of the irreversibly adsorbed Au-adatoms on the already described Pt-nanostructured electrode. In acidic and alkaline solutions, the electrocatalytically activities toward methanol and glycerol oxidation were evaluated and is found to strongly on the surface of the gold-modified PtNPs. The PtNPs modified by Au electrode system used direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) and direct glycerol fuel cell (DGFC). The DMFC and DGFC are much higher than in acid output in alkaline. Comparison of the i-E curves of nanostructure platinum electrode with that of a platinum nanostructure electrode modified by Au under similar conditions for the letter, the charge under the peak (i-E curve) in the oxidation region was higher. Furthermore, rough chronoamperometric measurements confirmed the results. The results of showed that the electrocatalytic properties of the nanostructured prepared surface were enhanced by the inclusion of gold adatoms with a variable extent of advancement. The current peak (I_p) and the current chronoamperometric (I_CA) of glycerol oxidation on the PtNPs electrode modified by Au in acid media (130 mA/cm², 47 µA/cm²) were higher than those of the bare PtNPs electrode and in alkaline media (171 mA/cm², 66 µA/cm²). The stronger catalytic behavior in alkaline media of the Au-PtNP electrode indicates its promising use in alkaline direct alcohol cells.

A Survey of Catalytic Materials for Ammonia Electrooxidation to Nitrite and Nitrate

Studies of the ammonia oxidation reaction (AOR) for the synthesis of nitrite and nitrate (NO_2/3 ^- ) have been limited to a small number of catalytic materials, majorly Pt based. As the demand for nitrate-based products such as fertilisers continues to grow, exploration of alternative catalysts is needed. Herein, 19 metals immobilised as particles on carbon fibre electrodes were tested for their catalytic activity for the ammonia electrooxidation to NO_2/3 ^- under alkaline conditions (0.1 m KOH). Nickel-based electrodes showed the highest overall NO_2/3 ^- yield with a rate of 5.0±1.0 nmol s^-1  cm^-2 , to which nitrate contributed 62±8 %. Cu was the only catalyst that enabled formation of nitrate, at a rate of 1.0±0.4 nmol s^-1  cm^-2 , with undetectable amounts of nitrite produced. Previously unexplored in this context, Fe and Ag also showed promise and provided new insights into the mechanisms of the process. Ag-based electrodes showed strong indications of activity towards NH₃ oxidation in electrochemical measurements but produced relatively low NO_2/3 ^- yields, suggesting the formation of alternate oxidation products. NO_2/3 ^- production over Fe-based electrodes required the presence of dissolved O₂ and was more efficient than with Ni on longer timescales. These results highlight the complexity of the AOR mechanism and provide a broad set of catalytic activity and nitrate versus nitrite yield data, which might guide future development of a practical process for the distributed sustainable production of nitrates and nitrites at low and medium scales.

Edge-oriented N-Doped WS2 Nanoparticles on Porous Co3 N Nanosheets for Efficient Alkaline Hydrogen Evolution and Nitrogenous Nucleophile Electrooxidation

Earth-abundant layered tungsten disulfide (WS₂ ) is a well-known electrocatalyst for acidic hydrogen evolution, but it becomes rather sluggish for alkaline hydrogen or oxygen evolution due to the low-density edge sites, poor conductivity, and unfavorable water dissociation behavior. Here, an interfacial engineering strategy to construct an efficient bifunctional electrocatalyst by in situ growing N-doped WS₂ nanoparticles on highly conductive cobalt nitride (N-WS₂ /Co₃ N) for concurrent hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and urea oxidation reaction (UOR) is demonstrated. Benefiting from the good conductivity of Co₃ N, rich well-oriented edge sites and water-dissociation sites at the nanoscale interfaces between N-WS₂ and Co₃ N, the resultant N-WS₂ /Co₃ N exhibits remarkable HER activity in 1 m potasium hydroxide (KOH) requiring a small overpotential of 67 mV at 10 mA cm^-2 with outstanding long-term durability at 500 mA cm^-2 , representing the best alkaline hydrogen-evolving activity among reported WS₂ catalysts. In particular, this hybrid catalyst also shows exceptional catalytic activities toward theurea oxidation reaction featured by very low potentials of 1.378 and 1.41 V to deliver 100 and 500 mA cm^-2 along with superb large-current stability in 1 m KOH + 0.5 m urea. Moreover, the assembled two-electrode cell delivers the industrially practical current density of 500 mA cm^-2 at a low cell voltage of 1.72 V with excellent durability in alkaline urea-containing solutions, outperforming most MoS₂ -like bifunctional electrocatalysts for overall water splitting reported hitherto. This work provides a promising avenue for the development of high-performance WS₂ -based electrocatalysts for alkaline water splitting.

Combined Analytical Study on Chemical Transformations and Detoxification of Model Phenolic Pollutants during Various Advanced Oxidation Treatment Processes

Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) have been introduced to deal with different types of water pollution. They cause effective chemical destruction of pollutants, yet leading to a mixture of transformation by-products, rather than complete mineralization. Therefore, the aim of our study was to understand complex degradation processes induced by different AOPs from chemical and ecotoxicological point of view. Phenol, 2,4-dichlorophenol, and pentachlorophenol were used as model pollutants since they are still common industrial chemicals and thus encountered in the aquatic environment. A comprehensive study of efficiency of several AOPs was undertaken by using instrumental analyses along with ecotoxicological assessment. Four approaches were compared: ozonation, photocatalytic oxidation with immobilized nitrogen-doped TiO₂ thin films, the sequence of both, as well as electrooxidation on boron-doped diamond (BDD) and mixed metal oxide (MMO) anodes. The monitored parameters were: removal of target phenols, dechlorination, transformation products, and ecotoxicological impact. Therefore, HPLC–DAD, GC–MS, UHPLC–MS/MS, ion chromatography, and 48 h inhibition tests on Daphnia magna were applied. In addition, pH and total organic carbon (TOC) were measured. Results show that ozonation provides by far the most suitable pattern of degradation accompanied by rapid detoxification. In contrast, photocatalysis was found to be slow and mild, marked by the accumulation of aromatic products. Preozonation reinforces the photocatalytic process. Regarding the electrooxidations, BDD is more effective than MMO, while the degradation pattern and transformation products formed depend on supporting electrolyte.

Selective Electrosynthesis of 2,5-Diformylfuran in a Continuous-Flow System

The gram-scale selective oxidation of biomass-based chemicals, in particular 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), into value-added 2,5-diformylfuran (DFF) has a high application potential but suffers from high cost, low selectivity, and harsh reaction conditions. Besides, the electrooxidation strategy requires the usage of expensive electrodes and struggles with low selectivity and efficiency, which restricts its further scaled-up application. In this regard, a continuous-flow system was developed through redox mediator I^- /I₂ for the efficient synthesis of DFF, which could accelerate the mass transfer of I^- (I₂ ) to aqueous (organic) phase and avoid over-oxidation to achieve high selectivity. After the solvent system, iodine concentration, and reaction time were optimized, highly efficient DFF synthesis (selectivity >99 %) could be achieved in the electrochemical flow system using inexpensive graphite felt (GF) as electrode. Moreover, selective HMF oxidation was paired with the hydrogen evolution reaction with increased efficiency after using in-situ-loaded GF-CoS₂ /CoS and GF-Pt electrodes. As a result, the required energy to achieve the gram-scale synthesis of DFF was significantly reduced, demonstrating outstanding potential for large-scale production of the target product.

Innovative Non-Enzymatic Electrochemical Quantification of Cholesterol

The use of the Liebermann–Burchard reaction in this study has been explored in the development of a simple, reliable, and robust quantitative electrochemical method to assay cholesterol, and hence provide a good alternative to colorimetric methods. The optimization of batch mode operation for electrochemical oxidation of cholesterol in the Liebermann–Burchard reagents included the applied potential and acidic volume. Tested using chronoamperometry, the developed method showed a high sensitivity (14.959 μA mM⁻¹) and low detection limit (19.78 nM) over a 0.025–3 mM concentration range, with remarkable linearity (R² = 0.999), proving an analytical performance either higher or comparable to most of the cholesterol sensors discussed in literature. The influence of possible interfering bioactive agents, namely, glucose, uric acid, ascorbic acid, KCl and NaCl, has been evaluated with no or negligible effects on the measurement of cholesterol. Our study was directed at finding a new approach to chemical processing arising from the use of external potential as an additional level of control for chemical reactions and the transfer of electrons between surfaces and molecules. Finally, the optimized method was successfully applied for the determination of cholesterol content in real blood samples.

Performance Improvement of Gold Electrode towards Methanol Electrooxidation in Akaline Medium: Enhanced Current Density Achieved with Poly(aniline-co-2-hydroxyaniline) Coating at Low Overpotential

Electronically conducting poly (aniline-co-2-hydroxyaniline) (PACHA), a copolymer of aniline and 2-hydroxyaniline (2HA), was electrochemically coated on gold substrate for methanol electrooxidation in alkaline media. The electrochemical behavior of PACHA coated gold electrode towards methanol electrooxidation was investigated via cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) for application in an alkaline fuel cell. Methanol electrooxidation was observed at two different electrode potentials depending on the concentration of the base. At the PACHA coated gold electrode, the methanol oxidation peak was observed at lower overpotential (at 0.19 V) in a solution of high base concentration (1.8 M NaOH), which was 30 mV lower than the peak for the uncoated gold electrode. In addition, the Faradic current Imax obtained on the PACHA coated electrode (20 mA) was two times higher as compared to the Faradic current Imax of the un-modified gold electrode (10 mA). In solution of lower base concentration (0.06 M NaOH), the electrooxidation of methanol became sluggish on both electrodes, as indicated by peak shifting towards positive potential and with reduced faradaic current (at 0.74 V on PACHA coated electrode; Imax 10 mA). The electrooxidation of methanol at both lower and higher electrode potentials was analyzed mechanistically and discussed in light of the literature. EIS results were interpreted using Nyquist and Bode plots. The charge transfer resistance was decreased and pseudo-capacitive behavior changed to conductive behavior when external applied potential was increased from 0.1 V to 0.4 V.

An Electrochemical Way to Generate Amphiphiles from Hydrazones for the Synthesis of 1,2,4-Triazole Scaffold Cyclic Compounds

An electro-oxidative cyclization pathway in which hydrazones are selected as starting materials to generate amphiphiles by reacting with benzylamines and benzamides was reported. This strategy successfully prepared a series of 1,2,4-triazoles in satisfactory yields. Moreover, the use of cheap stainless steel as the anode, the feasibility to conduct the transformation as a one-pot reaction and the proof that scaling-up these reactions is possible make this transformation attractive for potential application in industry.

Decolorization of textile wastewater by electrooxidation process using different anode materials: Statistical optimization

The presence of reactive dyes in textile wastewater is a serious environmental concern due to their associated mutagenic and carcinogenic effects. The present study aims to analyze the effect of different anodic materials on the decolorization of a real textile wastewater effluent. For this purpose, four different anodic materials-TiO2 -coated platine, TiO2 -coated ruthenium dioxide (RuO2 ) (viz., RuO2 ), titanium dioxide (TiO2 ), and graphite-were connected, respectively, to titanium dioxide (TiO2 ) used as a cathode electrode. Color and cost optimization studies were performed using the response surface methodology and the Box-Behnken experimental design (BBD). According to ANOVA results, the R2 values for Pt/TiO2 , RuO2 /TiO2 , TiO2 /TiO2 , and graphite/TiO2 electrode pairs were found to be 97.4%, 93.8%, 92.44%, and 92.2%, respectively, indicating a good compatibility as it is close to one. The results show that color removal efficiencies at the optimal conditions were 86.3%, 90.8%, 91.5%, and 93.6% for Pt/TiO2 , graphite/TiO2 , TiO2 /TiO2 , and RuO2 /TiO2 , respectively. Furthermore, energy consumption cost at the optimum conditions was also evaluated, and the results were as follows: Pt/TiO2 (0.95 €/m3 ), graphite/TiO2 (0.74 €/m3 ), TiO2 /TiO2 (0.31 €/m3 ), and RuO2 /TiO2 (0.26 €/m3 ). Consequently, this research paper shows that all of the tested anodic materials give satisfactory color removal efficiencies higher than 86%. When energy consumption and color removal are considered together, the use of TiO2 /TiO2 and RuO2 /TiO2 pairs would be preferred. PRACTITIONER POINTS: Anodic contribution was investigated for decolorization of textile wastewater by electrooxidation process. Graphite, TiO2 -coated Pt, TiO2 -coated RuO2 , and TiO2 were used as anode materials. Highest color removal with lowest energy consumption was achieved with TiO2 -coated RuO2 anode material (93.6%).

Transform electrocatalytic biomass upgrading and hydrogen production from electricity input to electricity output

Integrating biomass upgrading and hydrogen production in an electrocatalytic system is attractive both environmentally and sustainably. Conventional electrolyzer systems coupling anodic bio-substrate electrooxidation with hydrogen evolution reaction usually require electricity input. In this work, we develop a fuel cell electrocatalytic system achieve the biomass upgrading and hydrogen production as well as electricity generation. Different with conventional furfural electrooxidation, the employed low-potential furfural oxidation enables the hydrogen atom of the aldehyde group to be released as gaseous hydrogen at the anode under a low potential of ~0 VRHE (vs. reversible hydrogen electrode). The integrated fuel cell system could generate electricity of ~2 kWh for per cubic meter of hydrogen produced. This work may provide a transformative technology that turns the electrocatalytic biomass upgrading and hydrogen production from electricity input to electricity output.

Cerium(IV) and Iron(III) Oxides Nanoparticles Based Voltammetric Sensor for the Sensitive and Selective Determination of Lipoic Acid

A novel voltammetric sensor based on CeO2·Fe2O3 nanoparticles (NPs) has been developed for the determination of lipoic acid, playing an essential role in aerobic metabolism in the living organism. Sensor surface modification provides a 5.6-fold increase of the lipoic acid oxidation currents and a 20 mV anodic shift of the oxidation potential. The best voltammetric parameters have been obtained for the 0.5 mg mL-1 dispersion of CeO2·Fe2O3 NPs. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) confirms the presence of spherical NPs of 25-60 nm, and their aggregates evenly distributed on the electrode surface and formed porous coverage. This leads to the 4.4-fold increase of the effective surface area vs. bare glassy carbon electrode (GCE). The sensor shows a significantly higher electron transfer rate. Electrooxidation of lipoic acid on CeO2·Fe2O3 NPs modified GCE is an irreversible diffusion-controlled pH-independent process occurring with the participation of two electrons. The sensor gives a linear response to lipoic acid in the ranges of 0.075-7.5 and 7.5-100 μM with the detection limit of 0.053 μM. The sensor is selective towards lipoic acid in the presence of inorganic ions, ascorbic acid, saccharides, and other S-containing compounds. The sensor developed has been tested on the pharmaceutical dosage forms of lipoic acid.

Electroreforming of Biomass for Value-Added Products

Humanity's overreliance on fossil fuels for chemical and energy production has resulted in uncontrollable carbon emissions that have warranted widespread concern regarding global warming. To address this issue, there is a growing body of research on renewable resources such as biomass, of which cellulose is the most abundant type. In particular, the electrochemical reforming of biomass is especially promising, as it allows greater control over valorization processes and requires milder conditions. Driven by renewable electricity, electroreforming of biomass can be green and sustainable. Moreover, green hydrogen generation can be coupled to anodic biomass electroforming, which has attracted ever-increasing attention. The following review is a summary of recent developments related to electroreforming cellulose and its derivatives (glucose, hydroxymethylfurfural, levulinic acid). The electroreforming of biomass can be achieved on the anode of an electrochemical cell through electrooxidation, as well as on the cathode through electroreduction. Recent advances in the anodic electroreforming of cellulose and cellulose-derived glucose and 5-hydrooxylmethoylfurural (5-HMF) are first summarized. Then, the key achievements in the cathodic electroreforming of cellulose and cellulose-derived 5-HMF and levulinic acid are discussed. Afterward, the emerging research focusing on coupling hydrogen evolution with anodic biomass reforming for the cogeneration of green hydrogen fuel and value-added chemicals is reviewed. The final chapter of this paper provides our perspective on the challenges and future research directions of biomass electroreforming.

Copper-Catalyzed Electrosynthesis of Nitrite and Nitrate from Ammonia: Tuning the Selectivity via an Interplay Between Homogeneous and Heterogeneous Catalysis

Electrocatalytic oxidation of ammonia is an appealing, low-temperature process for the sustainable production of nitrites and nitrates that avoids the formation of pernicious N₂ O and can be fully powered by renewable electricity. Currently, however, the number of known efficient catalysts for such a reaction is limited. The present work demonstrates that copper-based electrodes exhibit high electrocatalytic activity and selectivity for the NH₃ oxidation to NO₂ ^- and NO₃ ^- in alkaline solutions. Systematic investigation of the effects of pH and potential on the kinetics of the reaction using voltammetric analysis andin situ Raman spectroscopy suggest that ammonia electrooxidation on copper occurrs via two primary catalytic mechanisms. In the first pathway, NH₃ is converted to NO₂ ^- via a homogeneous electrocatalytic process mediated by redox transformations of aqueous [Cu(OH)₄ ]^-/2- species, which dissolve from the electrode. The second pathway is the heterogeneous catalytic oxidation of NH₃ on the electrode surface favoring the formation of NO₃ ^- . By virtue of its nature, the homogeneous-mediated pathway enables higher selectivity and was less affected by electrode poisoning with the strongly adsorbed "N" intermediates that have plagued the electrocatalytic ammonia oxidation field. Thus, the selectivity of the Cu-catalyzed NH₃ oxidation towards either nitrite or nitrate can be achieved through balancing the kinetics of the two mechanisms by adjusting the pH of the electrolyte medium and potential.

Electrochemical oxidation of chloramphenicol with lead dioxide-surfactant composites

The PbO₂ -2 wt.% sodium dodecyl sulfate composite formed from methanesulfonate electrolyte consists of 93.1% of α-phase PbO₂ in contrast to the similar one synthesized from nitrate electrolyte, which contains 73.3% of β phase. The electrocatalytic activity of the obtained composites in the oxygen evolution reaction and oxidation of chloramphenicol was investigated. It was found that the Tafel slope significantly exceeds the theoretical value, which indicates a decrease in the degree of filling of the electrode surface with oxygen-containing particles. In the presence of organic compound and chloride ions in the solution, irreversible adsorption of the intermediate is observed, which leads to additional blocking of active centers on the oxide surface, which are involved in the oxidation of organic substance. It was established that the maximum rate of chloramphenicol conversion is 83.5% and 85% at 50 and 80 mA cm^-2 , respectively, under kinetic control. The heterogeneous oxidation rate constant of chloramphenicol is 0.0035 min^-1 . Oxidation of chloramphenicol occurs through the formation of 4-(-2-amino-1,3-dihydroxy-propanyl)-nitrobenzene with cleavage of dichloroacetic acid. Next, the amino group is oxidized to the nitro group to form 4-(2-nitro-1,3-dihydroxy-propanyl)-nitrobenzene. Subsequent electrolysis produces nitrobenzoic acid, which is oxidized to benzoic acid, later hydroquinone, then benzoquinone and a set of aliphatic compounds. PRACTITIONER POINTS: The PbO₂ -2 wt.% SDS composite consists of 93.1% of α phase of PbO₂ in contrast to those synthesized from nitrate electrolyte. The Tafel slope indicates a decrease of surface filling with oxygen-containing particles. Irreversible adsorption of the intermediate is observed in the presence of chloride ions.

Remarkable bismuth-gold alloy decorated on MWCNT for glucose electrooxidation: the effect of bismuth promotion and optimization via response surface methodology

In this study, the carbon nanotube supported gold, bismuth, and gold-bismuth(Au/MWCNT, Bi/MWCNT, and Au-Bi/MWCNT) nanocatalysts were prepared with NaBH₄ reduction method at varying molar atomic ratio for glucose electrooxidation (GAEO). The synthesized nanocatalysts at different Au: Bi atomic ratios are characterized via x - ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and N₂ adsorption-desorption. For the performance of AuBi/MWCNT for GAEO, electrochemical measurements are performed by using different electrochemical techniques namely cyclic voltammetry (CV), linear sweep voltammetry (LSV), chronoamperometry (CA), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Monometallic Au/MWCNT exhibits higher activity than Bi/MWCNT with 256.57 mA/mg (0.936 mA/cm²) current density. According to CV results, Au₈₀Bi₂₀/MWCNT nanocatalyst has the highest GAEO activity with the mass activity of 320.15 mA/mg (1.133 mA/cm²). For Au₈₀Bi₂₀/MWCNT, central composite design (CCD) is utilized for optimum conditions of the electrode preparation. Au₈₀Bi₂₀/MWCNT nanocatalysts are promising anode nanocatalysts for direct glucose fuel cells (DGFCs).

Nitroxyl Radical/Copper-Catalyzed Electrooxidation of Alcohols and Amines at Low Potentials

Nitroxyl radicals, such as 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine N-oxyl (TEMPO), can catalyze the electrochemical oxidation of alcohols and amines. Because the oxidation current obtained in this process depends on the concentration of alcohols and amines, this process can be applied to their sensing. However, the relatively high oxidation potentials required by nitroxyl radicals can induce interfering oxidation currents from various reductive substances in biological samples, which affects the accuracy of analyte measurements. In this study, we examined the electrooxidation of alcohols and amines at a low potential by applying cooperative oxidation catalysis using a nitroxyl radical and a copper salt. Nortropine N-oxyl (NNO), which showed higher catalytic activity than TEMPO was used as the nitroxyl radical. An increase in the oxidation current was observed at the low potential, and this increase depended on the alcohol concentration. In the case of the electrooxidation of amines, a positive correlation between oxidation current and amine concentration was observed at low amine concentrations. Therefore, low-potential cooperative catalysis can be applied to alcohol and amine electrooxidation for the development of accurate sensors suitable for clinical settings.

Electrooxidation Is a Promising Approach to Functionalization of Pyrazole-Type Compounds

The review summarizes for the first time the poorly studied electrooxidative functionalization of pyrazole derivatives leading to the C-Cl, C-Br, C-I, C-S and N-N coupling products with applied properties. The introduction discusses some aspects of aromatic hydrogen substitution. Further, we mainly consider our works on effective synthesis of the corresponding halogeno, thiocyanato and azo compounds using cheap, affordable and environmentally promising electric currents.

Safety of electrooxidation for urea removal in a wearable artificial kidney is compromised by formation of glucose degradation products

A major challenge for the development of a wearable artificial kidney (WAK) is the removal of urea from the spent dialysate, as urea is the waste solute with the highest daily molar production and is difficult to adsorb. Here we present results on glucose degradation products (GDPs) formed during electrooxidation (EO), a technique that applies a current to the dialysate to convert urea into nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen gas. Uremic plasma and peritoneal effluent were dialyzed for 8 hours with a WAK with and without EO‐based dialysate regeneration. Samples were taken regularly during treatment. GDPs (glyoxal, methylglyoxal, and 3‐deoxyglucosone) were measured in EO‐ and non‐EO‐treated fluids. Glyoxal and methylglyoxal concentrations increased 26‐ and 11‐fold, respectively, in uremic plasma (at [glucose] 7 mmol/L) and 209‐ and 353‐fold, respectively, in peritoneal effluent (at [glucose] 100 mmol/L) during treatment with EO, whereas no change was observed in GDP concentrations during dialysate regeneration without EO. EO for dialysate regeneration in a WAK is currently not safe due to the generation of GDPs which are not biocompatible.

Effect of Anode Material on Electrochemical Oxidation of Low Molecular Weight Alcohols-A Review

The growing climate crisis inspires one of the greatest challenges of the 21st century-developing novel power sources. One of the concepts that offer clean, non-fossil electricity production is fuel cells, especially when the role of fuel is played by simple organic molecules, such as low molecular weight alcohols. The greatest drawback of this technology is the lack of electrocatalytic materials that would enhance reaction kinetics and good stability under process conditions. Currently, electrodes for direct alcohol fuel cells (DAFCs) are mainly based on platinum, which not only provides a poor reaction rate but also readily deactivates because of poisoning by reaction products. Because of these disadvantages, many researchers have focused on developing novel electrode materials with electrocatalytic properties towards the oxidation of simple alcohols, such as methanol, ethanol, ethylene glycol or propanol. This paper presents the development of electrode materials and addresses future challenges that still need to be overcome before direct alcohol fuel cells can be commercialized.

Importance of Combined Electrochemical Process Sequence and Electrode Arrangements: A Lab-scale Trial of Real Reverse Osmosis Landfill Leachate Concentrate

Reverse osmosis (RO) is a widely applied technique for wastewater effluent reuse and landfill leachate treatment. The latter generates a refractory RO leachate concentrate (ROLC), for which cost-effective treatment is required. This study focuses on a two-step electrochemical method consisting of aluminum-based electrocoagulation (EC), and simultaneous electrooxidation-electrocoagulation with a titanium-based lead dioxide (Ti/ß-PbO₂) anode and aluminum cathode (EO_EC) assembly. The sequence and electrode arrangements of the combined electrochemical process were investigated to determine the organic transformation, Ti/ß-PbO₂ anode viability, and energy consumption. Series-based EC-EO_EC decreased the total chemical oxygen demand (COD) from 8750 mg L^-1 to 380 mg L^-1, a 96% removal efficiency, in 3.5 hours at 141 A m^-2. Under a low energy consumption of 28.7 kWh kg_COD^-1, the ROLC biodegradability (BOD₅/COD) significantly increased from 0.015 to 0.530, which was ascribed to aromatic removal (e.g., -C=C) and an increase in -COOH functional groups. Furthermore, the rapid removal of natural organic matter and increase in pH elevation from EC suppressed the dissolution of Pb from the Ti/ß-PbO₂ anode during the subsequent EO_EC, thereby leaving 0.061 mg L^-1 in the ROLC after treatment. The treatment cost was 3.86 USD kg_COD^-1, which was approximately 34% lower than that of previously reported electrochemical processes for ROLC treatment. These findings obtained with a real RO concentrate provide a foundation for scaling up this new electrochemical treatment approach.

Deciphering NH3 Adsorption Kinetics in Ternary Ni-Cu-Fe Oxyhydroxide toward Efficient Ammonia Oxidation Reaction

Developing efficient catalysts for the ammonia oxidation reaction (AOR) is crucial for NH₃ utilization as a large-scale energy carrier. This work reports a promising Ni-Cu-Fe-OOH material for ammonia oxidation, and density functional theory is used to investigate the AOR mechanism. It is revealed that the oxygen-atoms bonded with the metal-atom on the surface of electrode play an important role in AOR. By codoping Cu and Fe, the electron distribution around the oxygen-atom is affected, which helps to promote the occurrence of ammonia oxidation. The Ni-Cu-Fe-OOH material delivers one of the highest ammonia removal efficiency to date of ≈90% after 12 h. In addition, ≈55% of the initial ammonia is successfully degraded after 24 h in high ammonia concentration. Thus, this work reveals the mechanism of AOR that can provide new ideas to tailor more powerful and updated catalysts in the future.

Simulation and prediction of electrooxidation removal of ammonia and its application in industrial wastewater effluent

A FLUENT software able to predict and assess the electrooxidation of ammonia from the simulation of ammonia concentration and flow field distribution was developed in this study. The flow field-based models of ammonia removal were simulated and modified through the experimental results. The parameter of reaction constant k is corrected to 0.00195, and the modified model fitted well with experimental values, with the error less than 4%. The electrode depth of 4 cm was assessed to be optimal for ammonia removal based on the comparison of the simulation results on ammonia concentration and flow field distribution. The prediction result applied in the industrial wastewater treatment indicated that complete could be achieved at 0.27 Ah/L, and about 50% of total nitrogen was removed at 0.8 Ah/L. About 7% of chloride ions were converted into inorganic by-products, indicating low biological toxicity and risk on environment. The energy consumption increased with the promotion of removal efficiency of total nitrogen, requiring 5.4 kWh/m³ to remove 50% total nitrogen at 0.8 Ah/L. The results show the practicability and feasibility of this FLUENT software tool on the simulation and prediction of electrooxidation process, which can provide the simulation parameter settings for the subsequent application. PRACTITIONER POINTS: A FLUENT software based on the simulation of ammonia concentration and flow field distribution was able to predict and assess ammonia electrooxidation. A modified model is provided with a rate constant k of 0.00195 and the distinction of 4% with experimental results. The optimal electrode depth was predicted to be 4 cm via the obtained model. Complete ammonia and about 50% of total nitrogen could be at 0.27 Ah/L and 0.8 Ah/L, receptively. About 7% of chloride ions were converted into inorganic by-products in industrial wastewater with high chloride.

Conducting Polymer-Based Nanohybrids for Fuel Cell Application

Carbon materials such as carbon graphitic structures, carbon nanotubes, and graphene nanosheets are extensively used as supports for electrocatalysts in fuel cells. Alternatively, conducting polymers displayed ultrahigh electrical conductivity and high chemical stability havegenerated an intense research interest as catalysts support for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) as well as microbial fuel cells (MFCs). Moreover, metal or metal oxides catalysts can be immobilized on the pure polymer or the functionalized polymer surface to generate conducting polymer-based nanohybrids (CPNHs) with improved catalytic performance and stability. Metal oxides generally have large surface area and/or porous structures and showed unique synergistic effects with CPs. Therefore, a stable, environmentally friendly bio/electro-catalyst can be obtained with CPNHs along with better catalytic activity and enhanced electron-transfer rate. The mass activity of Pd/polypyrrole (PPy) CPNHs as an anode material for ethanol oxidation is 7.5 and 78 times higher than that of commercial Pd/C and bulk Pd/PPy. The Pd rich multimetallic alloys incorporated on PPy nanofibers exhibited an excellent electrocatalytic activity which is approximately 5.5 times higher than monometallic counter parts. Similarly, binary and ternary Pt-rich electrocatalysts demonstrated superior catalytic activity for the methanol oxidation, and the catalytic activity of Pt24Pd26Au50/PPy significantly improved up to 12.5 A per mg Pt, which is approximately15 times higher than commercial Pt/C (0.85 A per mg Pt). The recent progress on CPNH materials as anode/cathode and membranes for fuel cell has been systematically reviewed, with detailed understandings into the characteristics, modifications, and performances of the electrode materials.

Interfacial Pd-O-Ce Linkage Enhancement Boosting Formic Acid Electrooxidation

Metal-support interaction enhancement is critical in the fuel cell catalyst design and fabrication. Herein, taking the Pd@CeO₂ system as an example, we revealed the substrate morphology coupling effect and the thermal annealing-induced Pd-O-Ce linkage enhancement in the improved catalytic capability for formic acid electrooxidation. Three well-defined CeO₂ nanocrystals were employed to support Pd nanoparticles, and the best catalytic performance for formic acid oxidation and anti-CO poisoning ability was found on CeO₂ plates because of the high oxygen vacancy, Ce³⁺, and more Pd-O-Ce linkages resulting from the more edge/corner defects. This interaction of Pd-O-Ce linkages could be largely enhanced by thermal annealing in the N₂ atmosphere, as confirmed by a series of crystal structures, surface chemical state, and Raman analysis because the oxygen vacancies and lattice oxygen resulting from the oxygen atoms leaching from the CeO₂ lattice would trap the mobile Pd nanocrystals by forming strengthened Pd-O-Ce linkages. Due to the high oxygen vacancy and strong Pd-O-Ce linkages, largely increased catalytic activity and stability, catalytic kinetics, and rapid charge transfer were found for all the thermal annealed Pd@CeO₂ catalysts. A nearly 1.93-fold enhancement in the mass activity was achieved on the Pd@CeO₂-plate catalysts demonstrating the significance of Pd-O-Ce linkage enhancement. The formation mechanism of Pd-O-Ce linkage was also probed, and a valid Pd-O-Ce linkage can only be formed in the inert atmosphere because of the reaction between metallic Pd and CeO₂. This finding sheds some light on the more efficient catalyst interface construction and understanding for the fuel cell catalysis via metal-support interaction enhancement.

Greener Routes to Biomass Waste Valorization: Lignin Transformation Through Electrocatalysis for Renewable Chemicals and Fuels Production

Lignin valorization is essential for biorefineries to produce fuels and chemicals for a sustainable future. Today's biorefineries pursue profitable value propositions for cellulose and hemicellulose; however, lignin is typically used mainly for its thermal energy value. To enhance the profit potential for biorefineries, lignin valorization would be a necessary practice. Lignin valorization is greatly advantaged when biomass carbon is retained in the fuel and chemical products and when energy quality is enhanced by electrochemical upgrading. Though lignin upgrading and valorization are very desirable in principle, many barriers involved in lignin pretreatment, extraction, and depolymerization must be overcome to unlock its full potential. This Review addresses the electrochemical transformation of various lignins with the aim of gaining a better understanding of many of the barriers that currently exist in such technologies. These studies give insight into electrochemical lignin depolymerization and upgrading to value-added commodities with the end goal of achieving a global low-carbon circular economy.

Electrochemical Lignin Conversion

Lignin is the largest source of renewable aromatic compounds, making the recovery of aromatic compounds from this material a significant scientific goal. Recently, many studies have reported on lignin depolymerization and upgrading strategies. Electrochemical approaches are considered to be low cost, reagent free, and environmentally friendly, and can be carried out under mild reaction conditions. In this Review, different electrochemical lignin conversion strategies, including electrooxidation, electroreduction, hybrid electro-oxidation and reduction, and combinations of electrochemical and other processes (e. g., biological, solar) for lignin depolymerization and upgrading are discussed in detail. In addition to lignin conversion, electrochemical lignin fractionation from biomass and black liquor is also briefly discussed. Finally, the outlook and challenges for electrochemical lignin conversion are presented.

Lanthanum Ferrites-Based Exsolved Perovskites as Fuel-Flexible Anode for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

Exsolved perovskites can be obtained from lanthanum ferrites, such as La_0.6Sr_0.4Fe_0.8Co_0.2O₃, as result of Ni doping and thermal treatments. Ni can be simply added to the perovskite by an incipient wetness method. Thermal treatments that favor the exsolution process include calcination in air (e.g., 500 °C) and subsequent reduction in diluted H₂ at 800 °C. These processes allow producing a two-phase material consisting of a Ruddlesden–Popper-type structure and a solid oxide solution e.g., α-Fe_100-y-zCo_yNi_zO_x oxide. The formed electrocatalyst shows sufficient electronic conductivity under reducing environment at the Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) anode. Outstanding catalytic properties are observed for the direct oxidation of dry fuels in SOFCs, including H₂, methane, syngas, methanol, glycerol, and propane. This anode electrocatalyst can be combined with a full density electrolyte based on Gadolinia-doped ceria or with La_0.8Sr_0.2Ga_0.8Mg_0.2O₃ (LSGM) or BaCe_0.9Y_0.1O_3-δ (BYCO) to form a complete perovskite structure-based cell. Moreover, the exsolved perovskite can be used as a coating layer or catalytic pre-layer of a conventional Ni-YSZ anode. Beside the excellent catalytic activity, this material also shows proper durability and tolerance to sulfur poisoning. Research challenges and future directions are discussed. A new approach combining an exsolved perovskite and an NiCu alloy to further enhance the fuel flexibility of the composite catalyst is also considered. In this review, the preparation methods, physicochemical characteristics, and surface properties of exsoluted fine nanoparticles encapsulated on the metal-depleted perovskite, electrochemical properties for the direct oxidation of dry fuels, and related electrooxidation mechanisms are examined and discussed.

Synthesis of Well-Defined High-Valent Palladium Complexes by Oxidation of Their Palladium(II) Precursors

The last decade has witnessed the rapid development of high-valent Pd-involved organic transformations. This has also led to a steadily growing number of publications concerning the preparation of isolable and characterizable palladium(III) and palladium(IV) complexes. A variety of one-electron and two-electron oxidants have been employed to give access to high-oxidation-state Pd compounds. Undoubtedly, the study of these stoichiometric reactions has great implications for relevant Pd-mediated catalysis. In this minireview, the focus is on the synthetic approaches to structurally determined Pd^III/IV complexes starting from their Pd^II precursors, and the advances in this research area from early 2010 to late 2019 will be highlighted. Chemical oxidations exploiting various oxidizing agents including 1) hypervalent iodine reagents; 2) halogens; 3) electrophilic fluorination reagents; 4) alkyl/aryl halides; 5) ferrocenium salts; 6) peroxides/O₂ ; 7) sulfonyl chlorides; and 8) others are covered. A "greener" electrooxidation manner has also been reviewed.

Prospects of Value-Added Chemicals and Hydrogen via Electrolysis

Cost is a major drawback that limits the industrial-scale hydrogen production through water electrolysis. The overall cost of this technology can be decreased by coupling the electrosynthesis of value-added chemicals at the anode side with electrolytic hydrogen generation at the cathode. This Minireview provides a directory of anodic oxidation reactions that can be combined with cathodic hydrogen generation. The important parameters for selecting the anodic reactions, such as choice of catalyst material and its selectivity towards specific products are elaborated in detail. Furthermore, various novel electrolysis cell architectures for effortless separation of value-added products from hydrogen gas are described.

Electrooxidative and Regioselective C-H Azolation of Phenol and Aniline Derivatives

A general and practical protocol was developed for the regioselective C-H azolation of phenol and aniline derivatives by electrooxidative cross-coupling. The reaction occurs under metal-, oxidant-, and reagent-free conditions, allowing access to a wide variety of synthetically useful heteroarene derivatives. The reaction also tolerates a broad range of functional groups and is amenable to gram-scale synthesis. Finally, a preliminary mechanistic study indicated that a radical-radical-combination pathway might be involved in the coupling reaction.

Pre-treatment of soft drink wastewater with a calcium-modified zeolite to improve electrooxidation of organic matter

Wastewater from soft drink manufacturing, having a high organic load (chemical oxygen demand (COD) = 4,500 mg L^-1) and high alkalinity (2,653.7 mg L^-1 CaCO₃; pH 12), was pretreated with a calcium-modified zeolite to reduce the alkalinity and improve the electrooxidation of organic matter. The natural zeolite clinoptilolite was modified in various ways with Ca(OH)₂ and CaCl₂. The CaCl₂-modified zeolite (ZSACaCl-72h) was more effective for the treatment of soft drink wastewater than the congener modified with Ca(OH)₂, where the former reduced the alkalinity by 86% after 8 h. Electrooxidation of soft drink wastewater without zeolite pre-treatment was carried out with boron-doped diamond (BDD) electrodes under the optimal conditions (current intensity: 3 A; sample pH: 12), with 98% and 94.05% reduction of the COD and total organic carbon (TOC), respectively, after 14 h of treatment. Soft drink wastewater pretreated with calcium-modified clinoptilolite was also electrooxidized using the BDD system. The results showed that the pre-treatment was extremely convenient, reducing the treatment time to 6 h compared to the electrooxidation of wastewater. At a current intensity of 3 A, the treatment time was 8 h, with 100% reduction of colour and COD and 97.5% reduction of TOC.

Selective Electrooxidation of Glycerol Into Value-Added Chemicals: A Short Overview

A comprehensive overview of the catalysts developed for the electrooxidation of glycerol with the aim of producing selectively value-added compounds is proposed in the present contribution. By presenting the main results reported in the literature on glycerol electrooxidation in acidic and alkaline media, using different kinds of catalytic materials (monometallic catalysts based on platinum group metals and non-noble metals, multimetallic alloys, or modification of surfaces by adatoms, etc.) and under different experimental conditions, some general trends concerning the effects of catalyst composition and structure, of reaction medium and of the electrode potential to enhance the activity for the glycerol oxidation reaction and of the selectivity toward a unique value-added product will be presented and discussed. The objective is to provide a guideline for the development of electrochemical systems which allow performing the electrooxidation of glycerol at the rate and selectivity as high as possible.

Optimized Synthesis of Nitrogen and Phosphorus Dual-Doped Coal-Based Carbon Fiber Supported Pd Catalyst with Enhanced Activities for Formic Acid Electrooxidation

Development of a Pd-based catalyst with highly active and durable properties for formic acid oxidation reaction at the anode remains an important matter of interest in the research community. Herein, we have designed novel coal-based carbon fibers (Coal-CFs) with dicyandiamide (DCD) as nitrogen (N) source, triphenylphosphine (TPP) as phosphorus (P) source dual-doped to support Pd catalysts (Pd/NP-Coal-CFs(DCD/TPP)), which exhibit superior catalytic performance toward formic acid oxidation reaction. Mass activity of formic acid oxidation of Pd/NP-Coal-CFs(DCD/TPP) catalyst is 536.6 mA·mg^-1_Pd, which is 2.5 times higher than that of Pd/Coal-CFs catalyst. The higher specific surface areas, exclusive electron transport path, and the high synergistic interaction of N and P are the favorable phenomena for catalytic performance. The addition of coal not only increases the abundant defects sites but also makes the utilization of coal with high added value. This N and P dual-doped catalyst inspires an idea for promoting applications in practical fuel cells.

Sophisticated Construction of Binary PdPb Alloy Nanocubes as Robust Electrocatalysts toward Ethylene Glycol and Glycerol Oxidation

The design of nanocatalysts by controlling pore size and particle characteristics is crucial to enhance the selectivity and activity of the catalysts. Thus, we have successfully demonstrated the synthesis of binary PdPb alloy nanocubes (PdPb NCs) by controlling pore size and particle characteristics. In addition, the as-obtained binary PdPb NCs exhibited superior electrocatalytic activity of 4.06 A mg^-1 and 16.8 mA cm^-2 toward ethylene glycol oxidation reaction and 2.22 A mg^-1 and 9.2 mA cm^-2 toward glycerol oxidation reaction when compared to the commercial Pd/C. These astonishing characteristics are attributed to the attractive nanocube structures as well as the large number of exposed active areas. Furthermore, the bifunctional effects originated from Pd and Pb interactions help to display high endurance with less activity decay after 500 cycles, showing a great potential in fuel cell applications.

Superior Electro-Oxidation and Corrosion Resistance of Monolayer Transition Metal Disulfides

Physics of monolayer and few-layer transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) and chemistry of few-layer TMDs have been well studied in recent years in the context of future electronic, optoelectronic, and energy harvesting applications. However, what has escaped the attention of the scientific community is the unique chemistry of monolayer TMDs. It has been demonstrated that the basal plane of multilayer TMDs is chemically inert, whereas edge sites are chemically active. In this article, we experimentally demonstrate that the edge reactivity of the TMDs can be significantly impeded at the monolayer limit through monolayer/substrate interaction, thus making the monolayers highly resistant to electrooxidation and corrosion. In particular, we found that few-layer flakes of MoS₂ and WS₂ exfoliated on conductive TiN substrates are readily corroded beyond a certain positive electrode potential, while monolayer remnants are left behind unscathed. The electrooxidation resistance of monolayers was confirmed using a plethora of characterization techniques including atomic force microscope (AFM) imaging, Raman spectroscopy, photoluminescence (PL) mapping, scanning/transmission electron microscope (S/TEM) imaging, and selected area electron diffraction (SAED). It is believed that strong substrate monolayer interaction compared to the relatively weak interlayer van der Waals interaction is responsible for the superior monolayers chemical stability in highly corrosive oxidizing environments. Our findings could pave the way for the implementation of monolayer transition metal disulfides as superior anticorrosion coating which can have a significant socioeconomic impact.

Electrochemical Alcohol Oxidation Mediated by TEMPO-like Nitroxyl Radicals

The electrocatalytic oxidation of alcohols mediated by TEMPO-like nitroxyl radicals is an economically and industrially viable method that will shortly find commercial application in the synthesis of valued substances including active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), valued natural product derivatives, fine chemicals, and valued nanomaterials.

Soft drink wastewater treatment by electrocoagulation-electrooxidation processes

The aim of this work was to implement a coupled system, a monopolar Electrocoagulation (EC)-Electrooxidation (EO) processes, for the treatment of soft drink wastewater. For the EC test, Cu-Cu, anode-cathode were used at current densities of 17, 51 and 68 mA cm^-2. Only 37.67% of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and 27% of total organic carbon (TOC) were removed at 20 min with an optimum pH of 8, this low efficiency can be associated with the high concentration of inorganic ions which inhibit the oxidation of organic matter due to their complexation with copper ions. Later EO treatment was performed with boron-doped diamond-Cu electrodes and a current density of 30 Am^-2. The coupled EC-EO system was efficient to reduce organic pollutants from initial values of 1875 mg L^-1 TOC and 4300 mg L^-1 COD, the removal efficiencies were 75% and 85%, respectively. Electric energy consumption to degrade a kilogram of a pollutant in the soft drink wastewater using EC was 3.19 kWh kg^-1 TOC and 6.66 kWh kg^-1 COD. It was concluded that the coupled system EC-EO was effective for the soft drink wastewater treatment, reducing operating costs and residence time, and allowing its reuse in indirect contact with humans, thus contributing to the sustainable reuse as an effluent of industrial wastewater.

Elucidation of Reaction Mechanisms Far from Thermodynamic Equilibrium

Far from equilibrium: This thesis provides a deep mechanistic analysis of the electrooxidation of methanol when the system is kept far from the thermodynamic equilibrium. Under an oscillatory regime, interesting characteristics between the elementary reaction steps were observed. We were able to elucidate the effect of the intrinsic drift in a potential time-series responsible for spontaneous transition of temporal patterns and the carbon dioxide decoupling from direct and indirect pathways.

Graphene Oxide-Assisted Synthesis of Pt-Co Alloy Nanocrystals with High-Index Facets and Enhanced Electrocatalytic Properties

Metal nanocrystals (NCs) are grown directly on the surface of reduced graphene oxide (rGO), which can maximize the rGO-NCs contact/interaction to achieve the enhanced catalytic activity. However, it is difficult to control the size and morphology of metal NCs by in situ method due to the effects of functional groups on the surface of GO, and as a result, the metal NCs/rGO hybrids are conventionally synthesized by two-step method. Herein, one-pot synthesis of Pt-Co alloy NCs is demonstrated with concave-polyhedrons and concave-nanocubes bounded by {hkl} and {hk0} high-index facets (HIFs) distributed on rGO. GO can affect the geometry and electronic structure of Pt-Co NCs. Thanks to the synergy of the HIFs and the electronic effect of the intimate contact/interaction between Pt-Co alloy and rGO, these as-prepared Pt-Co NCs/rGO hybrids presents enhanced catalytic properties for the electrooxidation of formic acid, as well as for the oxygen reduction reaction.

Seedless Growth of Palladium Nanocrystals with Tunable Structures: From Tetrahedra to Nanosheets

Despite the great success that has been accomplished on the controlled synthesis of Pd nanocrystals with various sizes and morphologies, an efficient approach to systematic production of well-defined Pd nanocrystals without seed-mediated approaches remains a significant challenge. In this work, we have developed an efficient synthetic method to directly produce Pd nanocrystals with a highly controllable feature. Three distinct Pd nanocrystals, namely, Pd nanosheets, Pd concave tetrahedra, and Pd tetrahedra, have been selectively prepared by simply introducing a small amount of ascorbic acid (AA) and/or water without the other synthesis conditions changed. We found that the combined use of AA and water is of importance for the successful production of the unique Pd nanosheets. Detailed catalytic investigations showed that all the obtained Pd nanocrystals exhibit higher activity in the formic acid electrooxidation and styrene hydrogenation with respect to the Pd black, and their activities are highly shape-dependent with Pd nanosheets demonstrating a higher activity than both the Pd concave tetrahedra and Pd tetrahedra, which is likely due to the simple yet important feature of ultrathin thickness of Pd nanosheets. The present work highlights the importance of structures in tuning the related properties of metallic nanocrystals.