Electrochemical synthesis of ferrate using boron doped diamond anodes

This work is focussed on the electrosynthesis of ferrates using boron doped diamond (BDD) anodes. Results show that this type of electrodes leads to efficient processes only limited by the availability of oxidizable-iron species. The hydroxyl ion concentration, the current density and the iron raw material were found to influence greatly on the results. Thus, the efficiencies of the process were increased using high current densities and high concentration of hydroxyl anions. Likewise, the use of an iron-powder bed (not directly on the surface of the diamond but separated by means of a very thin plastic mesh) as a raw material allows obtaining higher ferrates concentration than the use of solutions saturated with iron hydroxide. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.