Fabrication of boron-doped diamond films electrode for efficient electrocatalytic degradation of cresols

Abstract The choice of anode materials has a significant influence on the electrocatalytic degradation of organics. Accordingly, the electrocatalytic activity of several active anodes (Ti/Ru–Ir, Ti/Ir–Ta, Ti/Pt) and non-active anodes (Ti/PbO2, Ti/SnO2, Si/BDD (boron-doped diamond)) was compared by electrocatalytic degradation of m-cresol. The results indicated Si/BDD electrode had the strongest mineralization ability and the lowest energy consumption. And the order of the activity of m-cresol degradation was as follows: Si/BDD > Ti/SnO2>Ti/PbO2>Ti/Pt > Ti/Ir–Ta > Ti/Ru–Ir. Also their intermediate products were compared. The effects of experimental parameters on electrocatalytic degradation of m-cresol with Si/BDD electrode showed m-cresol conversion was affected slightly by the electrode spacing and electrolyte concentration, but affected greatly by the temperature and current density. And smaller electrode spacing and current density, higher electrolyte concentration and temperature were beneficial to reduce energy consumption. Their degradation processes were all accord with the pseudo-first-order reaction kinetics completely. In addition, the results of electrocatalytic degradation of m, o, p-cresol indicated there was almost no significant difference on conversion rate between cresols isomers with the current density of 30 mA cm−2. However, the influence of group position was shown when the current density was reduced to 10 mA cm−2 and cresols conversion followed the sequence of m-cresol ≈ o-cresol > p-cresol.