Work

Metal-free (B, N, P)-doped ordered mesoporous carbons for enhanced electrocatalytic oxidation of phenol

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Metal-free (B, N, P)-doped ordered mesoporous carbons are an interesting novel class of materials that do not contain critical raw materials and are characterised by an ordered nanostructure that allows to explore the concepts of nanoconfinement and 3D-like nanostructure in electrodes for electrocatalytic processes. In particular, a valuable novel direction is their use for the selective electrocatalytic oxidation (ECO) of waste products to higher-added-value chemicals rather than their conversion to CO2, as studied today. We focused the investigation on phenol, being a main component resistant to biodegradation in many industrial wastewater streams. In addition, it is a model for using the phenol derivatives produced in lignin depolymerisation. This study investigates the selective ECO of phenol to p-benzoquinone (BQ), a key industrial intermediate, using metal-free ordered mesoporous carbons (OMCs) synthesised via SBA-15 silica templates. OMCs were doped with boron, nitrogen, and phosphorus to tune the electronic properties and active sites in order to enhance their electrocatalytic performance. Characterisation revealed high surface areas (up to 1000 m2/g) and a well-defined mesoporous structure. Electrochemical tests in a microflow cell demonstrated that phosphorus-doped OMCs achieved phenol conversions of up to 50% with a benzoquinone selectivity of 40%, surpassing commercial conductive carbon black and boron-doped graphene (BDG). The results demonstrate the potential of doped OMCs as efficient and sustainable electrocatalysts for phenol valorisation, contributing to the development of scalable and eco-friendly technologies for biomass-derived chemical production.

Source: Applied Catalysis O Open

DOI: 10.1016/j.apcato.2025.207067