Production and contribution of hydroxyl radicals between the DSA anode and water interface

Hydroxyl radicals play the key role during electrochemical oxidation and photoelectrochemical oxidation. The production and effect of hydroxyl radicals on the interface between DSA anode and water was investigated by examining the quenching effect of iso-propanol on Orange II decolorization. We observed that with an increase in electrode potential from 4 to 12 V across electrodes at pH 7.0, the contribution percentage of hydroxyl radicals increased dramatically. More OH radicals were produced in acidic and alkaline conditions than at neutral conditions. At electrode potential of 4 V, the contribution percentage of hydroxyl radicals was obviously higher at near neutral pH conditions, while removal efficiency of Orange II achieved was the lowest concurrently. Finally, for photocatalytic oxidation, electrochemical oxidation, and photoelectrochemical oxidation using the same DSA electrode, the effect of hydroxyl radicals proved to be dominant in photocatalytic oxidation but the contribution of hydroxyl radicals was not dominant in electrochemical oxidation, which implies the necessity of UV irradiation for electrochemical oxidation during water treatment.