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Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering

ISSN 2095-2201

ISSN 2095-221X(Online)

CN 10-1013/X

Postal Subscription Code 80-973

2018 Impact Factor: 3.883

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Front. Environ. Sci. Eng.    2018, Vol. 12 Issue (6) : 11    https://doi.org/10.1007/s11783-018-1061-8
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Efficient photoelectrochemical oxidation of rhodamine B on metal electrodes without photocatalyst or supporting electrolyte
Xuejiao Wang, Xiang Feng, Jing Shang()
State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
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Abstract

•The efficient PEC degradation of RhB is realized using no photocatalyst.

•The efficient PEC degradation of RhB features the low salinity.

•The PEC degradation of RhB takes place on the anode and cathode simultaneously.

We designed photoelectrochemical cells to achieve efficient oxidation of rhodamine B (RhB) without the need for photocatalyst or supporting electrolyte. RhB, the metal anode/cathode, and O2 formed an energy-relay structure, enabling the efficient formation of O2− species under ultraviolet illumination. In a single-compartment cell (S cell) containing a titanium (Ti) anode, Ti cathode, and 10 mg·mL−1 RhB in water, the zero-order rate constant of the photoelectrochemical oxidation (kPEC) of RhB was 0.049 mg·L−1·min−1, while those of the photochemical and electrochemical oxidations of RhB were nearly zero. kPEC remained almost the same when 0.5 mol·L−1 Na2SO4 was included in the reactive solution, regardless of the increase in the photocurrent of the S cell. The kPEC of the illuminated anode compartment in the two-compartment cell, including a Ti anode, Ti cathode, and 10 mg·mL−1 RhB in water, was higher than that of the S cell. These results support a simple, eco-friendly, and energy-saving method to realize the efficient degradation of RhB.
Keywords Energy relay structure      Energy saving      Photocatalyst-free and low-salinity degradation      Photoelectrochemical cell     
Corresponding Author(s): Xuejiao Wang,Xiang Feng,Jing Shang   
Issue Date: 19 August 2018
 Cite this article:   
Xuejiao Wang,Xiang Feng,Jing Shang. Efficient photoelectrochemical oxidation of rhodamine B on metal electrodes without photocatalyst or supporting electrolyte[J]. Front. Environ. Sci. Eng., 2018, 12(6): 11.
 URL:  
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fese/EN/10.1007/s11783-018-1061-8
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fese/EN/Y2018/V12/I6/11
S cell Anode Cathode k (mg L−1·min−1)
EC PC PEC
1a) Ti Ti 0 0 0.049
2a) Pt Pt 0 0 0.037
3b) Ti Ti 0 0 0.048
Tab.1  Configurations and rate constants of S cells 1–3
T cell Anode Cathode UV Light
VOC (V) ISC (mA)
1 a) Ti Ti -0.15 -14.6
2 a) Pt Pt -0.07 -0.5
Tab.2  Configurations and photovoltaic parameters of T cells 1 and 2. The AC was illuminated similarly to the S cell case, and the CC was covered with aluminum foil to avoid illumination
Fig.1  Variations in rhodamine B (RhB) concentration over time in single-compartment cells (S cells) 1–3 under various oxidation conditions
Fig.2  Nitrogen-bubbled photoelectrochemical (PEC) degradation of RhB in S cells 1 and 2
Fig.3  Variations in RhB concentration over time in T cells 1 and 2 under the condition that the AC was illuminated similarly to the S cell case and the CC was covered with aluminum foil to prevent illumination. The applied bias was 1.5 V and the reactive solution was 10 mg·L−1 RhB in water
Fig.4  Variations in RhB concentration over time in T cells 1 and 2 under the condition that the CC was illuminated similarly to the S cell case and the AC was covered with aluminum foil to prevent illumination. The applied bias was 1.5 V and the reactive solution was 10 mg·L−1 RhB in water
Fig.5  Diagram describing the PEC oxidation of RhB. HOMO: highest occupied molecular orbital; EF: Fermi level; CP: chemical potential. Process 1 represents the photoexcitation of RhB. Process 2 represents the transfer of electrons from RhB to the anode (cathode). Process 3 represents the transfer of electrons from the anode (cathode) to O2. Process 4 represents the electron transfer from RhB to O2. The relative position of the EF of the metal to the CP of O2 can be justified by the fact that oxygen can oxidize Ti and Pt. Due to the role of the metal as the energy stair, the two-step energy transfer (Processes 2 and 3) is much more efficient than the one-step energy transfer (Process 4). Process 5 represents the oxidation of RhB via intermediate products into CO2 and H2O
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