Iron(II) Catalysis of the Mineralization of Aniline Using a Carbon‐PTFE O 2 ‐ Fed Cathode

Mineralization of aniline in acidic solution (pH 3.0) has been studied using an undivided cell with a carbon‐polytetrafluoroethylene cathode which continuously electrogenerates operating at constant current. A electrode or a Pt sheet was employed as the anode. While anodic destruction of aniline yields poor mineralization, addition of iron(II) to the solution causes a notable increase in its mineralization rate. In the so‐called electro‐Fenton process, the main oxidizing agent is which can be produced at the anode reaction layer by oxidation of water and also in the bulk solution via Fenton's reaction between and electrogenerated . A faster and complete mineralization of the pollutant in the presence of iron(II) can be easily achieved by the photoelectro‐Fenton process in which the solution is irradiated with UV light of λ max = 360 nm during electrolysis. The reactions involved in these processes are discussed.