title: Indirect electrocatalytic degradation of cyanide at nitrogen-doped carbon nanotube electrodes.
abstract: Nitrogen-doped carbon nanotube (N-CNT) mat electrodes exhibit high catalytic activity toward O(2) reduction, which can be exploited for the remediation of free cyanide (CN(-)). During the electrochemical O(2) reduction process, the hydroperoxide anion (HO(2)(-)) is formed and then reacts to chemically oxidize cyanide (CN(-)) to form cyanate (OCN(-)). The proposed electrochemical-chemical (EC) mechanism for CN(-) remediation at N-CNTs is supported by cyclic voltammetry and bulk electrolysis, and the formation of OCN(-) is confirmed via spectroscopic methods and electrochemical simulations. Our results indicate that by exploiting their catalytic behavior for O(2) reduction, N-CNTs can efficiently convert toxic CN(-) to the nontoxic OCN(-).
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Center for Electrochemistry, University of Texas at Austin , 1 University Station A5300, Austin, Texas 78712, United States.
authors.forename: Jaclyn D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Wiggins-Camacho
authors.forename: Keith J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Stevenson
mesh_terms: D002384:Catalysis; D003486:Cyanides / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*; D004566:Electrodes; D004572:Electrolysis / Q000379:methods*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000737:chemistry*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction
chemical_list: D003486:Cyanides; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon; D009584:Nitrogen