Electrolytic Procedures Involving Porous Electrodes

Porous metallic structures have been used for electrocatalysis (Chen and Lasia, 1991 Kallenberg et al., 2007). Porous electrodes are made with conductive materials that can degrade under high temperatures at high anodic potential conditions. This last problem is of less importance for fuel cell anodes, which operate at relatively low potentials, but it can be of importance for electrochemical reactors. Porous column electrodes prepared by packing a conductive material (carbon fiber, metal shot) forming a bar are frequently used. Continuous-flow column electrolytic procedures can provide high efficiencies for electrosynthesis or removal of pollutants in industrial situations. Theoretical analysis for the electrodeposition of metals on porous solids has been provided by Masliy et al. (2008). 

Industrially relevant products can be prepared by means of electrosynthetic procedures using microporous materials. Two general approaches can be used  

Electrosynthesis at conventional electrodes immersed into dispersions of the porous material in the electrolyte 

In most cases, a catalyst is deposited over the basal electrode, but it is also possible to interpose an electron mediator between the catalyst and the electrode (Zhong et al., 2007). 

---