Oxidative Degradation of Aqueous Cresols Induced by Gaseous Plasma with Contact Glow Discharge Electrolysis

The oxidative degradation of cresols smoothly proceeded toward inorganic end products when a gaseous plasma generated by means of dc glow discharge was sustained in contact with the surface of aqueous solution containing organic compounds. In order to get mechanistic insight, the monohydroxylation products from each isomeric cresol were closely examined as primary intermediates to reveal that the aromatic hydroxylation preferentially occurred at the position para to the hydroxyl group of each starting material. It was also established that the degradation of cresols strictly followed the first-order rate law. On the basis of the orientational analysis and the kinetical consideration including the effects of Fe ions added on the reaction rate, it was concluded that hydroxyl radical, which might result from the homolytic cleavage of water molecules by the action of plasma, was the most likely reagent responsible for the mineralization of cresols.