An attempt to define benzene and phenol electrochemical oxidation mechanism

The paper puts forward a hypothesis that the essence of benzene and phenol oxidation on a PbO2 anode is direct hydroxylation of these components to phenol (benzene) hydroquinone and pyrocatechol (benzene and phenol) by hydroxyl radicals formed on the anode. There is a linear dependence between oxidation rate and the rate of water electrolysis. The curves representing the dependences of benzene and phenol oxidation rates on anode potential overlap, which indicates that the rate of the process is not controlled by the reaction of splitting electron of an organic compound, ie the process does not follow the ECE mechanism. A close analogy may be seen among Fenton's system oxidations as well as radiolytic and photolytic with the use of photosensibilizators on the one hand and oxidation on a PbO2 anode on the other.