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 not only reduce pollutants in waste water but also enable the production of value-added chemicals. However, achieving high phenol conversion rate and p-BQ yield 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.