Destruction of aniline by mediated electrochemical oxidation with Ce(IV) and Co(III) as mediators

Mediated electrochemical oxidation has been employed to test the feasibility of treating soluble organic wastes. We report Ce(IV)- and Co(III)-mediated electrochemical oxidation of aniline at various electrodes in acidic media as an example of organic waste. Aniline was oxidized by an electrogenerated electron transfer mediator, Ce4+ or Co3+, in the anolyte and carbon dioxide was produced as a final oxidation product. Carbon dioxide was collected by bubbling through a barium hydroxide solution. When a powerful oxidizing agent, Ce(IV) or Co(III), was used as an electron shuttling mediator, parameters affecting the coulombic efficiency for aniline oxidation were the standard oxidation potentials of the mediators, their concentrations and the reaction temperature. Intermediate species produced during the oxidation of aniline were identified by cyclic voltammetric and absorption spectroscopic measurements.