Electrocatalytic reduction of nitrate at polypyrrole modified electrode

Polypyrrole (PPy) nanowire modified electrode was prepared and its electrocatalytic behavior towards nitrate reduction was characterized. The electrode surfaces were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX). The electrocatalytic activity of modified graphite electrode was compared with graphite, copper (Cu) and platinum (Pt) electrode. The nitrite concentration produced at PPy modified electrode is lower than that at any other electrodes, and its changing tendency is opposite to any other electrodes. The PPy nanowire modified electrodes were further modified by electrodeposition of Cu. The results show that the produced nitrite concentration gets higher with the increase of Cu content. The primary experimental results show that the modified electrode has promise use in the remove of nitrate from water.