Self-regeneration of activated carbon modified with palladium catalyst for electrochemical.dechlorin

Catalyst regeneration and the retention of high catalytic activity are still the critical issues in environmental application. A novel fluidized gas-liquid-solid electrochemical reactor was developed to simultaneously remove chlorinated pollutants and in situ regenerate the spent catalyst. Activated carbon modified with palladium catalyst (AC-Pd) was prepared for electrochemical dechlorination. For the 4-chlorophenol wastewater of initial concentration 200 mg L-1, the removal efficiency could nearly reach 100% in less than 30 min. Catalytic activity of AC-Pd catalyst was preserved effectively even in consecutive cycling run without special regeneration. *OH radicals, generated by electrochemical reaction, played a critical role in self-regeneration of AC-Pd. High catalytic activity of spent AC-Pd catalyst provided an attractive alternative in wastewater treatment.