Evaluation of H2O2 electrogeneration and tebuthiuron degradation by photo-electro-Fenton from a carbon-based gas diffusion electrode modified with Zn-zeolitic imidazolate framework
摘要
This study developed a novel modified carbon-based (PL6C) gas diffusion electrode (GDE) using Zn-zeolitic imidazolate framework (Zn-ZIF). When tested in an electrochemical flow reactor, the modified GDE-PL6C improved the efficiency of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) production and the commercial tebuthiuron (TBH) removal. Adding 1.0% Zn-ZIF to the GDE-PL6C significantly improved the current efficiency by 11.5% at 10 V. The GDE-PL6C produced 3700 mg L−1 of H2O2 after 225 min at a current density of 100 mA cm2. EIS analysis showed that the modified GDE exhibited reduced resistance compared to the unmodified version, indicating potential selectivity of the modified electrode. The phase plot indicated the presence of three distinct processes in the unmodified GDE-PL6C, while only two such processes were observed in the modified electrode, suggesting improved selectivity of the modified electrode. SEM analysis confirmed that Zn was evenly dispersed across the GDE surface without any changes to the electrode morphology. Complete TBH degradation was achieved within 15 min when applying the GDE-PL6C@Zn-ZIF under the photo-electro-Fenton treatment, with an 86% reduction in total organic carbon (TOC) after 60 min, and significantly low energy consumption. Tests using the river water matrix revealed that the presence of various ions did not influence TBH removal, i.e., there was a high rate of TOC removal. Phytotoxicity tests indicated that the toxicity after degradation was reduced. Overall, this study highlights the effectiveness of Zn-ZIF-modified GDE-PL6C as a low-cost and highly efficient tool for water treatment.