An Undergraduate Laboratory Experiment Using a Simple Photoassisted Fuel Cell To Remediate Simulated Wastewater

摘要

A carbon electrode coated with a TiO2/PVC composite is used to demonstrate a light-assisted fuel cell. Initially in a dilute solution of formic acid the current in a cyclic voltammetry experiment is shown to be enhanced when the electrode is exposed to a 60 W tungsten bulb. When a similar electrode is linked in a fuel cell configuration along with an air electrode, there is an enhancement of current on exposure to the same light source. Finally the system can be used to mineralize a dilute solution of formic acid, which is used as a model compound for an environmental pollutant.