Fabrication and characterization of titanium‐based lead dioxide electrode by electrochemical deposition with Ti4O7 particles

Abstract A novelly modified Ti/PbO 2 electrode was synthesized with Ti 4 O 7 particles through electrochemical deposition method (marked as PbO 2 ‐Ti 4 O 7 ). The properties of the as‐prepared electrodes were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), linear sweep voltammetry (LSV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), hydroxyl radical concentration, accelerated life test, etc. Azophloxine was chosen as the model pollutant for electro‐catalytic oxidation to evaluate electrochemical activity of the electrode. The experimental results indicated that Ti 4 O 7 modification could prominently improve the properties of the electrodes, especially, improve the surface morphology, enhance the current response, and reduce the impedance. However, the predominant phases of PbO 2 electrodes were unchanged, which were completely pure β‐PbO 2 . During the electrochemical oxidation process, the PbO 2 ‐Ti 4 O 7 (1.0) electrode showed the best performance on degradation of AR1 (i.e., the highest removal efficiency and the lowest energy consumption), which could be attributed to its high oxygen evolution potential (OEP) and strong capability of HO· generation. Moreover, the accelerated service lifetime of PbO 2 ‐Ti 4 O 7 (1.0) electrode was 175 hr, 1.65 times longer than that of PbO 2 electrode (105.5 hr). Practitioner points PbO 2 /Ti 4 O 7 composite anode was fabricated through electrochemical co‐deposition. Four concentration gradients of Ti 4 O 7 particle were tested. PbO 2 ‐Ti 4 O 7 (1.0) showed optimal electrocatalytic ability due to its high OEP and HO· productivity.