Measurement of phenols dearomatization via electrolysis: the UV-Vis solid phase extraction method.

Dearomatization levels during electrochemical oxidation of p-methoxyphenol (PMP) and p-nitrophenol (PNP) have been determined through UV-Vis spectroscopy using solid phase extraction (UV-Vis/SPE). The results show that the method is satisfactory to determine the ratio between aromatic compounds and aliphatic acids and reaction kinetics parameters during treatment of wastewater, in agreement with results obtained from numerical deconvolution of UV-Vis spectra. Analysis of solutions obtained from electrolysis of substituted phenols on antimony-doped tin oxide (SnO(2)--Sb) showed that an electron acceptor substituting group favored the aromatic ring opening reaction, preventing formation of intermediate quinone during oxidation.