Electrochemical Conversion of Triclosan as a Greener Alternative to Chemical Oxidation

Abstract

Triclosan, like many other aromatic halides, plays an important role industrially and inevitably ends up in the environment. Chemical treatments have effectively mitigated the presence of such chemicals, through using harsh oxidizing treatments, which are not without issues. A milder and greener alternative, such as an electrochemical method, is needed for the mitigation of compounds, such as triclosan. Herein, we evaluated triclosan treatment via electrochemical cycling and compared it to a traditional chemical oxidative process. Cyclic voltammetry was carried out using a three-electrode cell containing glassy carbon, silver wire, and platinum wire in organic solvent. Electrochemical cycling revealed 6 × greater triclosan conversion compared to traditional chemical oxidation reaction, as monitored by UV–Vis spectroscopy. In terms of reaction product selectivity, the chemical and electrochemical reactions yielded the oxidized triclosan and an ether cleavage product, dichlorophenol, as determined by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Of note, the chemical oxidation yielded the chlorinated re-dimerization side product, which was not observed during electrochemical cycling, which is beneficial, as such products have to be degraded again. Overall, our findings indicate that electrochemical methods offer significant advantages over traditional organic methods, such as product selectivity, relative conversion, and greener operation. In addition, electrochemical approaches offer tunability, such as electrode material, electrolyte, solvent, potential, or current applied, all of which may be integrated into a more efficient environmental application.

Graphical Abstract