Review of electrochemical degradation of phenolic compounds

Phenolic compounds are widely present in domestic and industrial sewage and have serious environmental hazards. Electrochemical oxidation (EO) is one of the most promising methods for sewage degradation because of its high efficiency, environmental compatibility, and safety. In this work, we present an in-depth overview of the mechanism and factors affecting the degradation of phenolic compounds by EO. In particular, the effects of treatment of phenolic compounds with different anode materials are discussed in detail. The non-active anode shows higher degradation efficiency, less intermediate accumulation, and lower energy consumption than the active anode. EO combined with other treatment methods (biological, photo, and Fenton) presents advantages, such as low energy consumption and high degradation rate. Meanwhile, the remaining drawbacks of the EO process in the phenolic compound treatment system have been discussed. Furthermore, future research directions are put forward to improve the feasibility of the practical application of EO technology.