Electrochemical oxidation of organic compounds using boron-doped diamond electrodes

Boron-doped diamond (BDD) electrodes prepared by chemical vapor deposition were used to determine if phenol could be oxidized to CO2 and if biofilms could be oxidized and "cleaned" from a surface. Cyclic voltammetry showed that phenol and biofilms were electrolyzed by the BDD electrodes and that the oxidation products did not foul the electrodes. Experiments were also run with a flow cell in which a liter of 10 mM phenol in 0.1M H2SO4 was circulated through the cell and the total organic carbon (TOC) was monitored as a function of time and cell current. The total carbon in solution was reduced from ~1% to <0.1% with no observable decrease in decomposition rate. This low, total organic carbon content supports that the reacted phenol was converted completely to CO2.

Duke Scholars

Author Brian R. Stoner Electrical and Computer Engineering