Photoelectrochemical Production of Peroxydisulfate (PDS), a Clean Oxidant: Recent Development and Challenges

Peroxydisulfate (PDS, S2O82−) is an important oxidant for a wide range of industrial applications, including organic synthesis, polymer preparation, wastewater treatment and environmental remediation. Currently, PDS is commercially produced by electrolysis of sulfate solution. Photoelectrochemistry (PEC) provides an alternative approach to PDS generation by reducing the energy required to drive this process. Because PEC uses solar light as an abundant, free resource, it is an attractive technique for PDS generation compared to electrolysis. WO3, owing to its excellent stability in acidic environments, is an excellent metal oxide candidate for producing PDS. Withstanding stronger acidic pH as well as absorption of visible light as a major fraction of solar light renders WO3 a promising material for PEC-based PDS production when compared with other semiconductors. This mini review examines light-assisted, sustainable production of PDS on WO3 photoanodes. It mainly involves the oxidation of the anion bisulfate, HSO4−, in a highly acidic pH. The efficiency of photoelectrochemical generation of PDS is greatly influenced by important factors, including suppressing recombination of photoinduced charge carriers, cocatalyst loading, minimizing competing side reactions, and establishing coupled reactions. In this review, we briefly discussed the key highlights to date in the application of WO3 as a stable photoanode material for producing PDS. It provides insight into the potential of photocatalysis as an emerging route for the sustainable synthesis of PDS as a valuable chemical oxidant. Besides the significant progress made so far, the PDS production rate remains low, and minimizing the recombination tendency to achieve a higher photocurrent density could further boost PEC-based PDS production.