Environmentally Oriented Electrochemistry in the Teaching Laboratory

Wednesday, 12 October 2022: 17:40
Room 302 (The Hilton Atlanta)
J. G. Ibanez (Universidad Iberoamericana-Ciudad de Mexico)
Electrochemistry has much to offer for a better understanding of natural electron exchange phenomena and multiple environmental remediation schemes. We have designed and tested several laboratory experiments to explore and demonstrate these functions in a teaching lab setting. These include: indirect electrolytic destruction of organic wastes, indirect H2S removal, electrocoagulation of oily wastewater, color removal of simulated wastewater by electrocoagulation-electroflotation, electrokinetic processing of soils, recovery of a soil metal pollutant and its extractant, production of disinfectants (ferrate and ozone), experimental transitions in a potential vs. pH (Pourbaix) diagram, electrolytically-generated activation of a metal surface for CO2 conversion, the indirect generation of colloidal sulfur to demonstrate Rayleigh scattering, a mini-solar cell, and the construction of a solar fuel cell. We have also generated experiments on non-electrodic electron transfer phenomena like simultaneous photocatalysis, removal of metal ions by cementation, destruction of pollutants by Fenton´s reagent, photoreduction of metal ions, production of disinfectants (ClO2, chloramines), water acidification by oxidation of mineral sulfides (acid mine drainage), and the oxidation of Fe(II) ions by molecular dioxygen.