1138
Electrochemical Mineralization of Synthetic Human Urine and Simultaneous H2 generation from an Electrolysis Cell Containing a Ni(II)Cyclam-Modified Nanoparticulate TiO2 Anode and a Pt Cathode

Wednesday, 1 June 2016: 14:40
Aqua 309 (Hilton San Diego Bayfront)
S. V. A. Munguía-Galván, S. Murcio-Hernández (CIDETEQ), T. Pérez-Segura, S. Gutiérrez-Granados (Universidad de Guanajuato), G. Carreño (DIVISIÓN DE INGENIERÍAS UNIVERSIDAD DE GUANAJUATO), J. J. Perez, F. Espejel-Ayala, A. Rodríguez-García, and J. Manríquez (CIDETEQ)
In this project we studied the electrochemical mineralization of synthetic human urine contained in alkaline aqueous solution by means of Ni(II)cyclam-modified nanoparticulate TiO2 films (OTE/TiO2/Ni-cyclam, where an optically transparent electrode OTE was utilized as conductive substrate) and the simultaneous electrogeneration of H2 via H2O reduction on Pt cathodes; both inserted in an electrolytic cell. Comparative results were obtained from the same setup where an anode without TiO2 (OTE/Ni-cyclam) was alternatively inserted in the electrolysis cell. Electrolysis experiments were carried out for 2h by applying 1.0V vs. NHE to the OTE/TiO2/Ni-cyclam or OTE/Ni-cyclam anodes, where the urea oxidation was predominantly taking place, while the H2 was continuously evolved from the Pt cathode. During this period of time, urine mineralization and H2 production were followed by measuring at the same time: the decrement of the total organic carbon (TOC) in the electrolytic solution and the H2 evolved from the cell. Our results revealed that the H2 evolution proceeds on Pt cathode when the mineralization of urea contained in urine achieves efficiencies of 53 and 36% on OTE/TiO2/Ni-cyclam and OTE/Ni-cyclam electrodes, respectively. Furthermore, it was also observed that urea electrolysis on the OTE/TiO2/Ni-cyclam anodes occurs without interference of parasitic reactions, which could be promoted from other chemical components of the synthetic urine (i.e. chloride ions oxidation for producing hypochlorite ions); thus suggesting that the combination of Ni-cyclam with TiO2 is essential for inhibiting secondary electron transfer processes. These results demonstrate that the OTE/TiO2/Ni-cyclam electrodes could be considered as a promising electrochemical technology for aiding to the treatment of wastewaters containing real human urine, which can be accomplished by H2 generation.