This work studies the performance of a platinum/carbon black-based anode for an electrochemical cell for water disinfection. Platinum is deposited onto the surface of carbon black (CB) particles by an electroless method using H₂PtCl₆ as precursor (1.5% Pt:CB black weight ratio). The impregnated C particles are adhered to the surface of a stainless-steel mesh (SSM) to fabricate the electrode. SEM micrographs show a CB layer on the surface of the SSM and the presence of platinum on it is confirmed by EDS analysis. The disinfection of water is accomplished by applying a potential of 2.5 V vs Ag/AgCl(3 M KCl) to the anode for 90 minutes. The catalytic activity of the anode is characterized by measuring the free-chlorine concentration vs time during disinfection experiments, which shows an average increase of ca. 94% when compared to a clean SSM and reaches a CT value of ca. 23.9 mg min L^-1 of free-chlorine. After disinfection, the water samples show the absence of microorganisms and the presence of residual disinfection agents. Since the disinfection process presents a moderate energy requirement of ca. 0.2 kWh m^-3 and a high inactivation of microorganisms (ca. 99.9%), it appears to be a promising technology for water disinfection.

Keywords: Electrolytic Water Disinfection; Free Chlorine; Energy Requirement; Residual Disinfection;