Electrochemically assisted photocatalytic removal of m-cresol using TiO2 thin film-modified carbon sheet photoelectrode

Abstract

In this study, removal of m-cresol has been performed using photoeletrocatalysis technique at the surface of titanium dioxide (TiO2) thin film-modified carbon sheet photoelectrode. A biased potential was applied across this photoelectrode illuminated by UV light to investigate the feasibility of an electrochemically assisted photocatalytic process in this degradation. For preparation of this photoelectrode, the photocatalytically active TiO2 thin film was covered on the carbon sheet by dip coating technique using economically accessible TiO2 powder (Degussa P25). It was found that the m-cresol could be degraded more efficiently by this photoelectrocatalytic process than the degradation obtained by photocatalytic oxidation or by electrochemical oxidation or alone. The effect of various parameters, such as m-cresol concentration, pH and applied potential on the photoelectrocatalytic degradation of m-cresol was studied and discussed.