Catalytic behavior of the Fe/Fe system in the electro-Fenton degradation of the antimicrobial chlorophene

The catalytic behavior of the Fe³⁺/Fe²⁺ system in the electro-Fenton degradation of the antimicrobial drug chlorophene has been studied considering four undivided electrolytic cells, where a Pt or boron-doped diamond (BDD) anode and a carbon felt or O₂-diffusion cathode have been used. Chlorophene electrolyses have been carried out at pH 3.0 under current control, with 0.05 M Na₂SO₄ as supporting electrolyte and Fe³⁺ as catalyst. In these processes the drug is oxidized with hydroxyl radical (OH) formed both at the anode from water oxidation and in the medium from electrochemically generated Fenton's reagent (Fe²⁺ + H₂O₂, both of them generated at the cathode). The catalytic behavior of the Fe³⁺/Fe²⁺ system mainly depends on the cathode tested. In the cells with an O₂-diffusion cathode, H₂O₂ is largely accumulated and the Fe³⁺ content remains practically unchanged. Under these conditions, the chlorophene decay is enhanced by increasing the initial Fe³⁺ concentration, because this leads to a higher quantity of Fe²⁺ regenerated at the cathode and, subsequently, to a greater OH production from Fenton's reaction. In contrast, when the carbon felt cathode is used, H₂O₂ is electrogenerated in small extent, whereas Fe²⁺ is largely accumulated because the regeneration of this ion from Fe³⁺ reduction at the cathode is much faster than its oxidation to Fe³⁺ at the anode. In this case, an Fe³⁺ concentration as low as 0.2 mM is required to obtain the maximum OH generation rate, yielding the quickest chlorophene removal. Chlorophene is poorly mineralized in the Pt/O₂ diffusion cell because the final Fe³⁺–oxalate complexes are difficult to oxidize with OH. These complexes are completely destroyed using a BDD anode at high current thanks to the great amount of OH generated on its surface. Total mineralization is also achieved in the Pt/carbon felt and BDD/carbon felt cells with 0.2 mM Fe³⁺, because oxalic acid and its Fe²⁺ complexes are directly oxidized with OH in the medium. Comparing the four cells, the highest oxidizing power regarding total mineralization is attained for the BDD/carbon felt cell at high current due to the simultaneous destruction of oxalic acid at the BDD surface and in the bulk solution.