Removal of Basic Blue 9 Dye by Hydrogen Peroxide Activated by Electrogenerated Fe2+/Fe3+ and Simultaneous Production of Hydrogen

Electrochemical techniques were used to oxidize organic pollutants by Fenton process using a mix of H2O2 and ferrous ions at a parallel plate reactor. The first stage was to build a micro scale reac-tor comprising two compartments, cathode and anode, separated by a membrane (Nafion-117). Each compartment has inlets and outlets to allow the flow of fluids (10 Lmin−1). The function of the reactor is to oxidize organic pollutants as well as to produce H2. Hydrogen is electrogenerated in the catholyte by the reduction of protons on a carbon steel cathode in acidic medium (0.05 M H2SO4). At the same time, a mixture of Fe2+/Fe3+ ions is produced in the anolyte (0.05 M Na2SO4, pH ≈ 2) by means of the oxidation of a sacrificial electrode made of stainless steel mesh. Fe2+/Fe3+ ions interact with H2O2 to generate strong oxidants which are responsible for oxidizing the organic matter and removing color. A voltage of 1 V was applied between the electrodes and remaine