Research on the reaction path of chlorobenzene oxidation by electrochemical-sodium persulfate system

Chlorobenzene (CB) is an important organic chemical material that is volatile and difficult to degrade, and has received much attention because of its strong ozone generation potential. An electrochemical-sodium peroxydisulfate (PDS) system was constructed and the oxidation reaction path of chlorobenzene in this system was analyzed. The effects of current density, PDS concentration, initial pH, CB blow-off gas ratio and temperature on the oxidation and mineralization rate of chlorobenzene in the system were investigated respectively. At a current density of 168 A/m2, a PDS concentration of 0.5 mol/L, an initial pH of 10, a CB blow-off gas ratio of 20% and a reaction temperature of 60 °C, the CB conversion and mineralization rates were able to reach more than 90%. The results of electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) experiments using 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline N-oxide (DMPO) and 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-piperidone hydrochloride (TEMP) as spin trapping agents indicate the presence of ⦁OH, · SO4− and 1O2 in the system. The signal of ·O2− was also captured after the quenching of ⦁OH, which further indicates the presence of 1O2. And the results of active substance quenching experiments showed that the active species that mainly contributed to the oxidation of chlorobenzene included ⦁OH, · SO4− and 1O2, and their contributions to the oxidation of chlorobenzene were 25.0%, 31.7% and 22.2%, respectively. The Liquid Chromatograph Mass Spectrometer (LC-MS) characterization results showed that the formation of chlorophenol and hydroquinone and their ring-opening reactions were the most critical processes in the oxidative decomposition of chlorobenzene, and the reaction pathways for the oxidation of chlorobenzene by ⦁OH, · SO4− and 1O2 were proposed by these characterization results.