Natural wood-derived solid ionic conductor for solid electro-Fenton strategy

Abstract

Among the many environmental problems affecting human health and safety, air and water pollution affect millions of people globally. H2O2 is a clean oxidant for production of hydroxyl radicals (OH⋅) that decomposes nearly all organic pollutants. However, electro-Fenton (EF) strategies for producing H2O2 are still unsatisfactory because of intermittent production, negative decomposition, and the wide use of pure O2 or/and proton exchange membranes. Here we report a wood-derived solid ionic conductor (WSIC) to propose a solid EF strategy for continuous cathodic production of giant H2O2 using only air and water. Effective activation of H2O2 by FeOCl generates OH⋅, which continuously degrades aqueous (99.9%, Rhodamine B) or mineralizes gaseous toluene into CO2 and H2O at room temperature. Our findings are a fundamental step toward development of next-generation of advanced oxidation processes that are sustainable and cost effective.