Electrocatalytic reduction of gaseous dichloroethane using carbon organic frame immobilized graphene

To address the challenges associated with the degradation of gaseous dichloroethane (DCA), this study presents an innovative electrocatalytic reductive methodology using graphene oxide (GO) and hexahydroxyphenylene (HHTP) as the carbon oxygen framework (COF). The approach stands out due to its liquid-free electrolyte half-cell design, featuring a gel layer interposed between the COF and the membrane without additional humidity. The structure and electrochemical properties of the COF were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray diffraction (SEM-EDS), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and cyclic voltammetric (CV) analyses after being coating on the desired substrate under fabrication conditions including drying temperature, time, and coating cycles). In a 1-hr batch mode test, the COF coated on a carbon substrate exhibits 75 % degradation efficiency at an initial DCA of 0.46 mmol, with a corresponding reduction rate of 0.015 mg min⁻¹. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS) conclusively identified chloroethene and ethene as the resultant reaction products. This approach offers the role of advanced catalysis materials in addressing electrochemical degradation of DCA as a potential for environmental remediation and sustainable chemical processing.