Synergetic electrocatalytic degradation of isophorone by active oxygen species generated in the gas diffusion electrode and PbO anode.

Significant efforts have been made to achieve efficient HO generation via oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Here, the acetylene black (AB)-based gas diffusion electrodes (GDEs) modified by PTFE were fabricated and applied in a closed autoclave for HO generation for the first time. The surface morphology, BET, XPS, cyclic voltammetry curves and linear scanning voltammetry curves of GDEs were all characterized. Additionally, the HO generation experiments of GDEs and the relationship between HO yield and BET surface area (S), double layer capacitance (C) were all investigated. It could be found that the S and C of GDEs kept a good linear relationship with HO content, and 2#GDE (AB:PTFE = 1:3) possessed the optimal HO generation capacity. Also, the effect of oxygen pressure and current density on HO production was evaluated detailedly, indicating higher oxygen pressure was beneficial to the HO generation and the preferable current density was 20 mA cm due to the side reactions. And all the HO electro-generation experiments exhibited a higher oxygen utilization efficiency (0.77%-2.93%). Finally, the efficient and synergetic electro-catalytic degradation of isophorone was achieved by self-made PbO anode and GDE.