Electrodeposited Co-doped Mn(OH)2 for exploring the electrochemical conversion of phenol to para-benzoquinone

Abstract

Electrocatalytic oxidation (ECO) of phenol into para-benzoquinone (p-BQ) in aqueous solution can reduce pollutants in waste water. However, achieving a high phenol conversion rate using non-precious metal-based materials under neutral conditions still faces challenges. This work reports a Co-doped Mn-based catalyst (Co–Mn(OH)₂) to improve the performance of ECO of phenol. The incorporation of Co leads to a reduction in the average oxidation state of Mn, which is conducive to inhibiting the competitive water oxidation during phenol oxidation. The Co-doping kept a high phenol conversion rate of 74.6% with the yield of p-BQ increased by three times. This work provides guidance for the design of cheap metal-based catalysts for efficient ECO under neutral conditions.