A Protocol for Electrocatalyst Stability Evaluation: H2O2 Electrosynthesis for Industrial Wastewater Treatment

Electrocatalysis has been proposed as a versatile technology for wastewater treatment and reuse. While enormous attention has been centered on material synthesis and design, the practicality of such catalyst materials remains clouded by a lack of both stability assessment protocols and understanding of deactivation mechanisms. In this study, we develop a protocol to identify the wastewater constituents most detrimental to electrocatalyst performance in a timely manner and elucidate the underlying phenomena behind these losses. Synthesized catalysts are electrochemically investigated in various electrolytes based on real industrial effluent characteristics and methodically subjected to a sequence of chronopotentiometric stability tests, in which each stage presents harsher operating conditions. To showcase, oxidized carbon black is chosen as a model catalyst for the electrosynthesis of H2O2, a precursor for advanced oxidation processes. Results illustrate severe losses in catalyst activity and/or selectivity upon the introduction of metal pollutants, namely magnesium and zinc. The insights garnered from this protocol serve to translate lab-scale electrocatalyst developments into practical technologies for industrial water treatment purposes.

Automated summary

Electrocatalysis has been proposed as a versatile technology for wastewater treatment and reuse, but the practicality of catalyst materials remains clouded by a lack of stability assessment protocols and understanding of deactivation mechanisms. This study develops a protocol to identify detrimental wastewater constituents and elucidate underlying phenomena, showing severe losses in catalyst activity and/or selectivity upon the introduction of metal pollutants. The insights garnered from this protocol aim to translate lab-scale electrocatalyst developments into practical technologies for industrial water treatment purposes.