Effective removal of mercury from aqueous streams via electrochemical alloy formation on platinum.

ABSTRACT: Retrieval of mercury from aqueous streams has significant environmental and societal importance due to its very high toxicity and mobility. We present here a method to retrieve mercury from aqueous feeds via electrochemical alloy formation on thin platinum films. This application is a green and effective alternative to traditional chemical decontamination techniques. Under applied potential, mercury ions in solution form a stable PtHg₄ alloy with platinum on the cathode. A 100 nanometres platinum film was fully converted to a 750 nanometres thick layer of PtHg₄. The overall removal capacity is very high, > 88 g mercury per cm³. The electrodes can easily be regenerated after use. Efficient and selective decontamination is possible in a wide pH range, allowin

SUBMITTER: Tunsu C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6242894 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature