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Unexpected Enhancement of Electrocatalytic Nature of Ti/(RuO2)x–(Sb2O5)y Anodes Prepared by the Ionic Liquid-Thermal Decomposition Method

MetadataDetails
Publication Date2016-03-14
JournalIndustrial & Engineering Chemistry Research
AuthorsTarciso Éder Santana Santos Santana Santana Santos, R.S. Silva, C.T. Meneses, Carlos A. Martínez‐Huitle, Katlin Ivon Barrios Eguiluz
InstitutionsUniversidade Tiradentes, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte
Citations30

Titanium electrodes covered with ruthenium and antimony oxides with different compositions (Ti/(RuO2)0.5-(Sb2O5)0.5 and Ti/(RuO2)0.8-(Sb2O5)0.2) were synthesized by using the ionic liquid (IL) and Pechini methods. These electrodes were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and electrochemical techniques, showing that the electrodes prepared by the IL method (green chemistry route) presented grains, a noncracked morphology, rutile structure, and significant electroactive area. The electrocatalytic nature of both electrodes was evaluated by electrochemical degradation of a persistent organic compound (atrazine herbicide) by applying 10 and 20 mA cm-2, and compared, for the first time, with a nonactive electrode with higher oxidation power (boron-doped diamond (BDD)). Results clearly showed that electrodes obtained by the IL method achieved higher degradation efficiencies. Compared with BDD anode, the Ti/(RuO2)0.8-(Sb2O5)0.2 electrode showed a similar performance to remove atrazine (98% in 100 min), evidencing an improvement in its oxidation power as active anode.