Electrochemical oxidation of carbamazepine in water using enhanced blue TiO2 nanotube arrays anode on porous titanium substrate

In this study, a blue TiO2 nanotube arrays anode on porous titanium substrate (Ti-porous/blue TiO2 NTA) was successfully fabricated by facile anodization and in situ reduction, and was used to investigate the electrochemical oxidation of carbamazepine (CBZ) in aqueous solution. The surface morphology and crystalline phase of the fabricated anode were characterized by SEM, XRD, Raman spectroscopy and XPS, and the electrochemical analysis confirmed that blue TiO2 NTA on Ti-porous substrate had larger electroactive surface area, better electrochemical performance and higher ⋅OH generation ability than that on Ti-plate substrate. The removal efficiency of 20 mg L−1 CBZ in 0.05 M Na2SO4 solution reached 99.75% at 8 mA cm−2 after 60 min electrochemical oxidation, and the rate constant was 0.101 min−1 with low energy consumption. EPR analysis and free radical sacrificing experiments showed that ⋅OH played a key role in the electrochemical oxidation. The possible oxidation pathways of CBZ were proposed through the identification of degradation products, and the main reactions may involve deamidization, oxidization, hydroxylation and ring-opening. Compared with Ti-plate/blue TiO2 NTA anode, Ti-porous/blue TiO2 NTA anode displayed excellent stability and reusability, and is promising to be used in the electrochemical oxidation of CBZ in wastewater. [Display omitted] •Ti-porous/blue TiO2 NTA anode has large electroactive surface area and high ⋅OH generation ability.•Carbamazepine can be efficiently degraded with low energy consumption.•Hydroxy radicals play a key role in the electrochemical oxidation of carbamazepine.•Possible degradation mechanism and pathways of carbamazepine have been proposed.•Ti-porous/blue TiO2 NTA anode exhibits excellent stability and reusability.