Surface modification of sludge-derived carbon by phosphoric acid as new electrocatalyst for degradation of acetophenone.

Sludge-derived carbons (SCs) were modified by different acids and used as electrocatalyst for electrochemical oxidation degradation of acetophenone. The results showed that SC treated with phosphoric acid (H3PO4-SC) exhibited the highest catalytic activity. The degradation efficiency of acetophenone reached 87.0%, and TOC removal was 72.3% under the conditions of 100 mg L-1 acetophenone, 90 mA cm-2, and 180 min reaction time. The element content and chemical state of H3PO4-SC were measured by XRF, XRD, TGA, FTIR, and Mössbauer spectra, and the results indicated that ferric iron and phosphate on the surface of H3PO4-SC might play the main role in acetophenone degradation. The carbonyl-13C-labeled acetophenone was first used to investigate the degradation of acetophenone in electrochemical oxidation by NMR.