Electrochemical oxidation of Emerging Pollutants with
carbon nanotubes supported metal catalysts
I. Kuźniarska-Biernackaa, M. Ferreiraa, O.S.G.P. Soaresb, J.J.M. Órfãob, M.F.R.
Pereirab, J.L Figueiredob, I.C. Nevesa, A.M. Fonsecaa and P. Parpota
a
Centro de Química, Departamento de Química, Universidade do Minho, Campus de
Gualtar, 4170-057 Braga, Portugal
b
Laboratório de Catálise e Materiais (LCM), Laboratório Associado LSRE/LCM,
Departamento de Engenharia Química, Faculdade de Engenharia, Universidade do
Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
[email protected]
Domestic wastewaters contain a variety of organic pollutants such as pharmaceuticals,
pesticides and personal care products and therefore present a major threat to the
environment. Several methods have been reported for the removal emerging organic
pollutants from contaminated waters [1]. In this context, electrochemical oxidation may
constitute an alternative route to the existing methods. Electricity may substitute some
toxic redox agents and may permit the mineralization of pollutants in mild conditions
[2].
In this work, the electrocatalytic oxidation of some pesticides and pharmaceutical
compounds were studied using mono and bimetallic catalysts based on carbon
nanotubes (CNT) as working electrodes, having in mind the total transformation of
these pollutants to carbon dioxide, nitrogen and water. The modified electrodes were
prepared by deposition of the Metal/CNT electrocatalytic material on carbon Toray
surface using a Nafion/water solution. Cyclic voltammetry was used to study the
electroreactivity of the organic compounds at prepared electrocatalysts, in aqueous
medium. The kinetic parameters of the redox reactions were also determined using this
technique [3]. Long-term electrolyses were carried out in a membrane separated
electrochemical cell in order to determine the conditions which allow an efficient
mineralization. The reaction products were identified and quantified using
chromatographic methods.
Acknowledgements: The authors thank the FCT and the European Fund for Regional
Development (FEDER)-COMPETE-QREN-EU for financial support to the Research Centres,
(CQ/UM, PEst-C/QUI/UI0686/2011, FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-022716) and the project “nSTeP - Nanostructured systems for Tail”, a NORTE-07-0124-FEDER-000039 supported by
Programa Operacional Regional do Norte (ON.2) and IKB thanks for the contract under the
project NORTE-07-0124-FEDER-000039. M. Ferreira acknowledges the FCT grant
SFRH/BD/97273/2013.
References:
[1] C.A. Martínez-Huitle, S. Ferro, Chem. Soc. Rev. 35 (2006) 1324
[2] M. Ferreira, M.F. Pinto, O.S.G.P. Soares, M.F.R. Pereira, J.J.M. Órfão, J.L.
Figueiredo, I.C. Neves, A.M. Fonseca, P. Parpot, Chem. Eng. J. 228 (2013) 374.
[3] M. Ferreira, M.F. Pinto, O.S.G.P. Soares, M.F.R. Pereira, J.J.M. Órfão, J.L.
Figueiredo, I.C. Neves, A.M. Fonseca, P. Parpot, Electrochim. Acta 60 (2012) 278.
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