Electrochemical dechlorination of chloroform in neutral aqueous solution on palladium/foam-nickel and palladium/polymeric pyrrole film/foam-nickel electrodes

Electrochemical dechlorination of chloroform in neutral aqueous solution was investigated using palladium-loaded electrodes at ambient temperature. Palladium/foam-nickel （Pd/foam-Ni） and palladium/polymeric pyrrole film/foam-nickel （Pd/PPy/foam-Ni） composite electrodes which provided catalytic surface for reductive dechlorination of chloroform in aqueous solution were prepared using an electrodepositing method. Scanning electron microscope （SEM） micrographs showed that polymeric pyrrole film modified the electrode-surface characteristics and resulted in the uniform dispersion of needle-shaped palladium particles on foam-Ni supporting electrode. The experimental results of dechlorination indicated that the removal efficiency of chloroform and current efficiency in neutral aqueous solution on Pd/PPy/foam-Ni electrode could be up to 36.8% and 33.0% at dechlorination current of 0.1 mA and dechlorination time of 180 min, which is much higher than that of Pd/foam-Ni electrode.

Self-regeneration of activated carbon modified with palladium catalyst for electrochemical dechlorination

Catalyst regeneration and the retention of high catalytic activity are still the critical issues in environmental application. A novel fluidized gas-liquid-solid electrochemical reactor was developed to simultaneously remove chlorinated pollutants and in situ regenerate the spent catalyst. Activated carbon modified with palladium catalyst （AC-Pd） was prepared for electrochemical dechlorination. For the 4-chlorophenol wastewater of initial concentration 200 mg· L^- 1, the removal efficiency could nearly reach 100% in less than 30 rain. Catalytic activity of AC-Pd catalyst was preserved effectively even in consecutive cycling run without special regeneration. OH radicals, generated by electrochemical reaction, played a critical role in self-regeneration of AC-Pd. High catalytic activity of spent AC-Pd catalyst provided an attractive alternative in wastewater treatment.

Carbon-based materials for electrochemical dechlorination

Electrochemical dechlorination reaction(EDR)is a promising,environmentally friendly,and economically profitable technology for treating chlorinated organic pollutants.For efficient environmental protection,electrocatalysts with high stability and low cost are of extremely significance to the development of EDR technology.Carbon-based materials have aroused broad interest as electrocatalysts for many electrochemical reactions due to their characteristics including large specific surface area,controllable structure,good conductivity,and chemical stability.For EDR,the carbon-based materials also show many unique superiorities,like strong adsorption capacity to chlorinated organic compounds(COCs),excellent catalytic activity and stability,and environmental compatibility.This review starts with a detailed summary on the mechanisms of electrochemical dechlorination(direct and indirect electron transfer pathway)and factors affecting the effectiveness of EDR.Then the paper comprehensively overviews the current progresses of carbon-based materials for EDR of COCs,following their two major application scenarios,i.e.,directly as electrocatalysts and as advanced supports for other catalysts.Moreover,the formation of different active sites in carbon-based electrocatalysts and their EDR activities are analyzed.Finally,the current challenges and perspectives in this field are discussed.This review will provide an in-depth understanding for the design of advanced carbon-based materials and promote the development of EDR technology.