Recent developments and advances in boron-doped diamond electrodes for electrochemical oxidation of organic pollutants

Boron-doped diamond (BDD) electrode has been considered as an optimal electrode material for electrochemical oxidation of organic contaminants in the aquatic environment due to its good physical and chemical properties. The fundamental research and practical application of BDD electrode in the mineralization of organic pollutants have been well developed up to now. In this review, the preparation and electrochemical properties of BDD film electrode are focused first. Then, we investigate the electrocatalytic process and degradation mechanisms on BDD electrodes based on the electrochemical oxidation of refractory pollutants in recent years. The enhancement approaches towards electrochemical oxidation kinetics are further highlighted, which include the establishment of high activity BDD electrodes and enhancement of mass transfer process during the electrochemical oxidation. Other combination technologies based on electrochemical oxidation with BDD electrode are also described to expand the application of BDD electrode in wastewater treatment. Further, the opportunity and prospective of BDD electrode are forecasted according to the existing problems in wastewater treatment.