title: Electrochemical degradation of trichloroacetic acid in aqueous media: influence of the electrode material.
abstract: The electrochemical degradation of trichloroacetic acid (TCAA) in water has been analysed through voltammetric studies with a rotating disc electrode and controlled-potential bulk electrolyses. The influence of the mass-transport conditions and initial concentration of TCAA for titanium, stainless steel and carbon electrodes has been studied. It is shown that the electrochemical reduction of TCAA takes place prior to the massive hydrogen evolution in the potential window for all electrode materials studied. The current efficiency is high (> 18%) compared with those normally reported in the literature, and the fractional conversion is above 50% for all the electrodes studied. Only dichloroacetic acid (DCAA) and chloride anions were routinely detected as reduction products for any of the electrodes, and reasonable values of mass balance error were obtained. Of the three materials studied, the titanium cathode gave the best results.
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Fotoquímica y Electroquímica de Semiconductores, Departamento de Química Física, Instituto Universitario de Electroquímica, Universidad de Alicante, Alicante, Spain.
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Esclapez
authors.forename: M I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Díez-García
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sàez
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bonete
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: González-García
mesh_terms: D002244:Carbon / Q000737:chemistry; D004566:Electrodes; D004572:Electrolysis; D013193:Stainless Steel / Q000737:chemistry; D014025:Titanium / Q000737:chemistry; D014238:Trichloroacetic Acid / Q000737:chemistry*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D013193:Stainless Steel; D014238:Trichloroacetic Acid; D002244:Carbon; D014025:Titanium