Recovery Of High Purity Chlorine By Cu-Doped Fe2o3 In Nitrogen Containing Carbon Matrix: A Bifunctional Electrocatalyst For Hcl Electrolysis

An environmentally benign approach towards synthesis of a non-noble metal and/or metal oxide doped incorporated in nitrogen containing carbon matrix (Cu-Fe2O3/NC) is premeditated in this study. In-situ incorporation of Cu, Fe2O3 as well as nitrogen into the carbon matrix using a single gel precursor simplified the synthetic route and divulged bifunctional activity assisting chlorine evolution at anode and oxygen reduction reaction at cathodic counterpart during HCl electrolysis. As a result of synergy between Cu and Fe2O3 in N- doped carbon matrix, enhanced activity and stability is stimulated. Catalyst optimization was executed by varying the weight percentage of metal reactants added during precursor synthesis (2, 5 and 10 wt. %), which rendered different composition of Cu, Fe2O3 and N in the composite with flake-like morphology at same thermal treatment conditions. Electrochemical studies were performed in 0.4 M HCl analogous to industrial waste HCl, to investigate the bifunctional activity of catalyst where Cu-Fe2O3 (5 %)/NC came out to be the most active and exhibited long term stability for 24 hours at onset potential of chlorine evolution. It offered a higher current density of 92.1 mA cm(-2) at 1.7 V vs. RHE during chlorine evolution and comparable activity to that of benchmark noble metal based catalyst along with more positive onset potential and high diffusion limiting current density of 0.78 V vs. RHE and 6 mA cm(-2) during oxygen reduction respectively.