The present paper reports on investigations dealing with electrochemical reactivation of expanded graphite (EG) electrodes exhausted by oligomer products of phenol electrooxidation. The considered reactivation was carried out in KOH solution by potentiostatic method at the potential of -1.5 V. The efficiency of reactivation, estimated by cyclic voltammetry technique on comparing the electrochemical activity of the original EG and reactivated EG examined during the renewed electrochemical oxidation of phenol, was found to be strongly influenced by the concentration of KOH solution. The highest electrochemical activity was observed for the sample EG after its electrochemical reactivation for 2 h at -1.5 V in 4 M KOH. A deep cathodic reduction of EG/oligomer composite under mentioned conditions enables its multiple reactivation ensuring progressive improvement of electrochemical activity towards the process of phenol electrooxidation. The analysis of FTIR and XPS spectra supported by the data of the BET surface area of investigated samples allows concluding that both physical and chemical interactions of active hydrogen, generated during the process of cathodic reactivation, with oligomer covering the EG surface are responsible for enhancement of electrochemical activity of EG/oligomer electrode. (c) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.