Date of Award
Fall 2023
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Engineering and Applied Science
First Advisor
Kim, Jaehong
Abstract
Electrocatalytic water treatment has emerged into the limelight of academic interest, yet their long-term viability remains largely in the dark. Despite major progress in materials and systems development, little is known regarding their performance under real wastewater matrices, which contain a multitude of impurities at everchanging concentrations. In this dissertation, we will present a thorough framework on how to realize the solutions of these key challenges and move towards practical implementation. This work will first demonstrate the formulation of a benchmarking protocol to systematically assess the impacts of wastewater on catalytic performance. In particular, H2O2 electrocatalytic synthesis is highlighted as a showcase application and will be subject to various matrices based on real effluent data. Such methods utilize standard electrochemical techniques to maximize scope and will be used to uncover previously unknown deactivation mechanisms. Leveraging this information, the latter half of this work will center on the development of mitigation strategies to directly combat such deactivation pathways. Key topics of interest include modulation of the voltage operation mode, as well as fine-tuning of the catalyst design. This will be demonstrated via the implementation of pulsed electrolysis and tuning of the active centers of several carbon black catalysts for H2O2 production. Finally, scale-up of the mitigation strategies remains critical and will be presented using a flow electrolyzer. The findings and principles of this work combine fundamentals in environmental and chemical engineering and serve a step towards more sustainable and robust pollutant remediation strategies.
Recommended Citation
Kim, David, "Towards Practical Electrocatalysis for Industrial Wastewater Treatment" (2023). Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Dissertations. 1202.
https://elischolar.library.yale.edu/gsas_dissertations/1202
