Electrochemical Behaviors of Chlorophenol Aqueous Solutions at Boron- Doped Diamond Electrode

The electrochemical behaviors of different chlorophenols at boron-doped diamond thin film electrode were investigated. Four chlorophenols, the 2-chlorophenol (2-CP), 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP), 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (2,4,6TCP) and pentachlorophenol (PCP), with various number of chlorine atoms in the benzene rings, were studied by using cyclic voltammetry at different scan rates over the potential range of –1 V to 2.5 V (vs MSE). The results indicated that the reactions of the 2-CP, 2,4-DCP and 2,4,6-TCP at the diamond electrode are irreversible and controlled by diffusion, and the irreversible trend increases with the decrease of the chlorine atom number in the benzene ring. However, the activity of the boron-doped diamond film electrode does not depend on the number of the chlorine atom. Different from the three chlorophenols, fouling of the electrode occurs in PCP solutions. The possible electro-oxidation mechanisms are discussed for different chlorophenols.