Nitrogen-Doped Graphene Iron-Based Particle Electrode Outperforms Activated Carbon in Three-Dimensional Electrochemical Water Treatment Systems

The synergy between electrochemical oxidation and adsorption on particle electrodes was investigated in three-dimensional (3D) systems for p-nitrosodimethylaniline (RNO) decolorization and pesticide removal. A comparison was made between granular activated carbon (GAC) and a novel synthesized nitrogen-doped graphene-based particle electrode (NCPE). Experiments on RNO decolorization show that the synergy parameter of the 3D-NCPE system was improved 3000 times compared to the studied 3D-GAC system. This was due to the specific nanostructure and composition of the NCPE material. Nitrogen-doped graphene triggered an oxygen reduction reaction, producing hydrogen peroxide that simultaneously catalyzed on iron sites of the NCPEs to hydroxyl radicals following the electro-Fenton (EF) process. Data showed that in the experimental setup used for the study, the applied cell voltage required for the optimal value of the synergy parameter could be lowered to 5V in the 3D-NCPEs process, which is significantly better than the 15-20 V needed for synergy to be found in the 3D-GAC process. Compared to previous studies with 3D-GAC, the removal of pesticides 2,6 dichlorobenzamide (BAM), 2-methyl-4-chlorophenoxyaceticacid (MCPA), and methylchlorophenoxypropionic acid (MCPP) was also enhanced in the 3D-NCPE system.