Hydrodechlorination of Alachlor Using a Molecular Electrocatalyst

Reductive hydrodechlorination is an effective approach to enhance the degradation rate of chlorinated herbicides such as alachlor, which are frequently detected in ground and surface water. In this study, a cobalt porphyrin complex with eight triazole units and alkyl chains, CoPor8T, was synthesized to catalyze the reductive hydrodechlorination of alachlor. Mechanistic study was performed using a combination of voltammetric, spectroscopic, and electrospectroscopic techniques. A conversion yield of 84% at –1.8 V vs. Fc/Fc+ and chloride ion concentration of 96% was obtained after electrocatalysis. This work provides a new avenue of using molecular catalysts for electrocatalytic chlorinated herbicide remediation.