Electrochemical degradation of formaldehyde with a novel Pd/GO modified graphite electrode

A novel Pd/GO modified graphite electrode for anodic degradation of formaldehyde was successfully prepared via impregnation and electrodeposition processes. The surface morphology of the modified electrode was characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic (XPS) techniques. The electrocalytic behavior of the electrode was characterized by cyclic voltammetry, it indicated that the modified graphite had excellent catalytic performance. The as-deposited Pd/GO/graphite modified electrode was applied to electro-degradation formaldehyde. Various factors influencing the degradation efficiency of formaldehyde such as current density, initial concentration of formaldehyde and initial pH were systematically investigated. The removal efficiency of formaldehyde, COD and TOC could reach 90.6%, 83.6% and 85% in pH 4 after 120 min electrolysis with a 0.5 mol L-1 Na2SO4 at a current density of 15 mA cm-2, which gave the direct evidence of the electrocatalytic capability of the electrode. The electrochemical degradation of formaldehyde at Pd/GO/graphite followed pseudo-first-order kinetics. These results indicated that the Pd/GO/graphite modified electrode would be a promising anode for electrochemical degradation of formaldehyde.