Integration of anodic and cathodic processes for the synergistic electrochemical production of peracetic acid

•An innovative electrochemical reactor for the production of PAA is presented.•Two different PAA production mechanisms are promoted in the cell.•The integration of cathodic and anodic processes results in a marked synergy.•The reactor overcomes previous studies on the electrochemical production of PAA.

Efficient in-situ production of peracetic acid is an unreached milestone of electrochemical engineering. Previous attempts in the production of peracetic acid were focused either on the cathodic production of hydrogen peroxide and its further addition to acetic acid solutions or on the oxidation of a suitable raw material (v. g. acetic acid, acetaldehyde, ethanol). In the present work, the oxidation of acetic acid by a boron doped diamond (BDD) anode was integrated with the cathodic production of hydrogen peroxide using a carbon felt gas diffusion electrode. A marked synergistic effect (synergy coefficient of 192.0 ± 13.1%) is observed when the oxidation of acetic acid by hydroxyl radicals is performed together with the cathodic production of hydrogen peroxide. A maximum PAA production efficiency of 19.87% was obtained, a value much higher than previous works based on the oxidation of acetic acid by BDD anodes and approximately double the optimal value reported in studies based on the production of hydrogen peroxide.

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