In various aspects and embodiments the invention provides a method for preparing a metal periodate by anodic oxidation of a metal iodide in an electrolysis cell comprising one or more anodes and one or more cathodes, characterised in that the one or more anodes are carbon-comprising electrodes. In certain embodiments the method is characterised in that the one or more anodes comprise a diamond layer doped with one or more IUPAC group 13, 15 or 16 elements of the periodic table.

A method of producing an electrochemically derived graphene oxide and product produced therefrom. The method comprises locating graphite particles within an electrochemical cell having a working electrode, counter electrode, and an aqueous acid electrolyte, the working electrode being positioned within the electrolyte to contact at least a portion of the graphite particles; agitating the graphite particles within the electrolyte; and applying a potential difference between the working electrode and counter electrode, thereby resulting in electrochemical exfoliation and oxidation of the graphite particles to produce graphene oxide.

A method of producing an electrochemically derived graphene oxide and product produced therefrom. The method comprises locating graphite particles within an electrochemical cell having a working electrode, counter electrode, and an aqueous acid electrolyte, the working electrode being positioned within the electrolyte to contact at least a portion of the graphite particles; agitating the graphite particles within the electrolyte; and applying a potential difference between the working electrode and counter electrode, thereby resulting in electrochemical exfoliation and oxidation of the graphite particles to produce graphene oxide.

The current disclosure provides alternating current based systems and methods to develop chemical compounds, such as drug molecules using electrochemistry in organic synthesis.

The current disclosure provides alternating current based systems and methods to develop chemical compounds, such as drug molecules using electrochemistry in organic synthesis.

Copper-boron-ferrite (Cu—B—Fe) composites may be prepared and immobilized on graphite electrodes in a silica-based sol-gel, e.g., from rice husks. Different bimetallic loading ratios can produce fast in-situ electrogeneration of reactive oxygen species, H.sub.2O.sub.2 and .OH, e.g., via droplet flow-assisted heterogeneous electro-Fenton reactor system. Loading ratios of, e.g., 10 to 30 wt. % Fe.sup.3+ and 5 to 15% wt. Cu.sup.2+, can improve the catalytic activities towards pharmaceutical beta blockers (atenolol and propranolol) degradation in water. Degradation efficiencies of at least 99.9% for both propranolol and atenolol in hospital wastewater were demonstrated. Radicals of .OH in degradation indicate a surface mechanism at inventive cathodes with correlated contributions of iron and copper. Copper and iron can be embedded in porous graphite electrode surface and catalyze the conversion of H.sub.2O.sub.2 to .OH to enhance the degradation. Inventive cathodes can be stable catalytically after 20 or more cycles under neutral and acidic conditions.

Copper-boron-ferrite (Cu—B—Fe) composites may be prepared and immobilized on graphite electrodes in a silica-based sol-gel, e.g., from rice husks. Different bimetallic loading ratios can produce fast in-situ electrogeneration of reactive oxygen species, H.sub.2O.sub.2 and .OH, e.g., via droplet flow-assisted heterogeneous electro-Fenton reactor system. Loading ratios of, e.g., 10 to 30 wt. % Fe.sup.3+ and 5 to 15% wt. Cu.sup.2+, can improve the catalytic activities towards pharmaceutical beta blockers (atenolol and propranolol) degradation in water. Degradation efficiencies of at least 99.9% for both propranolol and atenolol in hospital wastewater were demonstrated. Radicals of .OH in degradation indicate a surface mechanism at inventive cathodes with correlated contributions of iron and copper. Copper and iron can be embedded in porous graphite electrode surface and catalyze the conversion of H.sub.2O.sub.2 to .OH to enhance the degradation. Inventive cathodes can be stable catalytically after 20 or more cycles under neutral and acidic conditions.

Disclosed is a method for synthesizing a β-cyano ketone compound, including steps of (1) adding a α-keto acid and sodium hydroxide to a separator-free electrolytic cell, adding acetonitrile thereto, and dissolving the α-keto acid and sodium hydroxide in acetonitrile by stirring to be uniform, to obtain a dissolution solution; (2) adding an alkene or a derivative thereof, cyanobenziodoxolone, and an electrolyte to the dissolution solution, to obtain a mixed solution; (3) subjecting the mixed solution to an electrochemical reaction by electrifying a cathode of a platinum sheet, and an anode of a graphite electrode to obtain a reacted solution; and (4) after the electrochemical reaction, collecting the reacted solution, adding water thereto and stirring to obtain a mixture, subjecting the mixture to an extraction to obtain an organic phase, drying the organic phase and purifying, to obtain the β-cyano ketone compound.

Disclosed is a method for synthesizing a β-cyano ketone compound, including steps of (1) adding a α-keto acid and sodium hydroxide to a separator-free electrolytic cell, adding acetonitrile thereto, and dissolving the α-keto acid and sodium hydroxide in acetonitrile by stirring to be uniform, to obtain a dissolution solution; (2) adding an alkene or a derivative thereof, cyanobenziodoxolone, and an electrolyte to the dissolution solution, to obtain a mixed solution; (3) subjecting the mixed solution to an electrochemical reaction by electrifying a cathode of a platinum sheet, and an anode of a graphite electrode to obtain a reacted solution; and (4) after the electrochemical reaction, collecting the reacted solution, adding water thereto and stirring to obtain a mixture, subjecting the mixture to an extraction to obtain an organic phase, drying the organic phase and purifying, to obtain the β-cyano ketone compound.

In accordance with the principles of the present invention, a system and method for the management of the power applied to electrolytic cell is provided. The power management consists a constant current regulation, H-bridge control by pulse width modulation (PWM), and dimming control of the applied current to the electrolytic cell. The constant current regulation is an analog control that maintains the applied current at a user-defined current setpoint. The time scale of constant current regulation ranges from tenth of microseconds to milliseconds. The PWM control of the H-bridge allows for the instant adjustment of the electrolytic production output by turning the cell on and off; the time scale of the PWM control ranges from tenths of milliseconds to seconds. The dimming control allows the change of the applied constant current; the time scale of the dimming control ranges from milliseconds to hours and longer.