Indirect Electrochemical Oxidation of Phenol by Ce 4+ , Controlling Surface Insulation of Au Electrode

Indirect electrochemical oxidation of phenol by $Ce^{4+}$ was investigated in sulfuric acid solutions. It was found that electrode fouling during oxidation of phenol can be controlled by adjusting the time interval (TI) of double potential steps (DPSs). While the electroactivity was greatly decreased after several DPSs of a relatively long TI, repeated DPSs with a short potential pulse showed substantial amounts of electroactivity after a few hundreds or thousands DPS, suggesting that the formation of an insulating layer can be controlled by adjusting a potential program. Effectiveness of the consecutive application of DPSs for phenol decomposition was confirmed by GC-MS.