title: Electrocatalytic oxidation of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) in aqueous solution at a nickel electrode.
abstract: This study utilized the electrocatalytic characteristics of nickel electrode to perform degradation of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) in aqueous solution. Lab experiments were conducted in a spiltless bath type cell equipped with a nickel electrode as working electrode, a platinum wire as counter electrode, and an Ag/AgCl electrode as reference electrode. Effects of controlled potential, supporting electrolyte, and solution pH on the efficiency of MTBE removal were examined under the control of the constant-potential conditions. Experiment results showed that the optimum electrolytic condition was operated at 0.35 V in a 1M KOH electrolyte solution, and the initial 20 mgl(-1) MTBE was reduced by 73% within 180 min under the optimum control. As using 1M Na2SO4 and 1M KCl as electrolyte, the efficiency of MTBE removal dropped to 60% and 50% under the similar controls. Comparing with various pH controls, the strong basic condition is favorable for electrocatalytic oxidation of MTBE in the Ni-electrolytic system. The efficiency of MTBE removal showed a rising trend with increasing initial pH of the solution. The formation of a redox NiOOH/Ni(OH)2 layer on the anode surface, which was observed on the SEM image, can explain that nickel plays a mediator role on improving electrocatalytic oxidation of MTBE at 0.35 V in a strong basic condition. The by-products of MTBE degradation were identified as acetone and CO(2) by GC/MS, and the distributions of carbon atoms in acetone, CO2, and MTBE were found 22%, 51%, and 27% through the optimum control of electrochemical oxidation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Engineering, Kun Shan University, Tainan Hsien 71003, Taiwan, ROC. wutn@mail.ksu.edu.tw
authors.forename: Ting-Nien
authors.initials: TN
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D002384:Catalysis; D004566:Electrodes; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008738:Methyl Ethers / Q000737:chemistry*; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D009532:Nickel / Q000737:chemistry*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction
chemical_list: D008738:Methyl Ethers; C043243:methyl tert-butyl ether; D009532:Nickel