Acta Phys. -Chim. Sin. ›› 2009, Vol. 25 ›› Issue (06): 1190-1194.doi: 10.3866/PKU.WHXB20090625

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Selective Dehalogenation of 2,4,6-Tribromophenol in Aqueous Solution on a Silver Cathode

ZHU Ying-Hong, XU Ying-Hua, MA Hao, ZHAO Feng-Ming, MA Chun-An   

  1. State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Green Chemistry-Synthesis Technology, College of Chemical Engineering and Materials, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310032, P. R. China
  • Received:2008-10-29 Revised:2009-03-19 Published:2009-06-05
  • Contact: MA Chun-An E-mail:science@zjut.edu.cn

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Abstract:

The electrocatalytic activity of a roughened silver electrode towards the reductive dehalogenation of 2,4,6-tribromophenol was compared to a glassy carbon electrode and a polished silver electrode in basic aqueous solution by cyclic voltammetry (CV). Furthermore, the course of reductive dehalogention of 2,4,6-tribromophenol was studied by CV and controlled-potential electrolysis. Results indicated that roughened silver exhibited more powerful electrocatalytic activity than the glassy carbon electrode and the polished silver electrode for the selective dehalogention of 2,4,6-tribromophenol. The reduction of 2,4,6-tribromophenol was determined to be a stepwise dehalogenation as follows: 2,4,6-tribromophenol→2,4-dibromophenol→2-bromophenol→phenol. In addition, the activity energy needed for the dissociative reduction of the ortho carbon-halogen bond was similar to the para carbon-halogen bond for 2,4,6-tribromophenol and a higher energy was probably required for 2,4-dibromophenol to cleave the ortho carbon-halogen bond compared to the para carbon-halogen bond.

Key words: Selective dehalogenation, 2,4,6-tribromophenol, Silver electrode, Waste water treatment