Electrochemical degradation of benzene in natural water using silver nanoparticle-decorated carbon nanotubes

In this study, a novel methodology for the electrochemical degradation of benzene in natural water using silver nanoparticle-decorated carbon nanotubes has been investigated. The morphology, the structure, and the electrochemical performance of the multi-walled carbon nanotubes-silver (MWCNT-Ag) nanocomposite film were characterised by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and cyclic voltammetry (CV), respectively. Electrocatalytic oxidation of benzene in an aqueous solution was studied to evaluate potential applications of the MWCNT-Ag modified glassy carbon (GC) electrode in environmental science. The benzene removal efficiency in natural water containing 10 mg L−1 benzene yielded 77.9% at an applied potential of +2.0 V for 2 h using the MWCNT-Ag-GC electrode. In comparison, the removal efficiency reached only 8.0% with the bare GC electrode, showing the suitability of the MWCNT-Ag nanocomposite modified GC electrode for electro-oxidation of benzene in natural water.