Fabrication of cerium-doped lead dioxide anode with improved electrocatalytic activity and its application for removal of Rhodamine B

摘要

The electrochemical properties of a titanium dioxide nanotubes/cerium-doped lead dioxide (TiO2-NTs/ Ce-PbO2) anode and its removal of Rhodamine B (RhB) from aqueous solution were investigated. Cerium doping content and electrodeposition time were optimized to get the highest electrocatalytic activity. Scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were used to characterize the morphology, crystal structure and elemental states of the modified anode. The accelerated life test and linear sweep voltammetry indicated that TiO2-NTs/Ce-PbO2 possessed 2.3 times longer accelerated service life and higher oxygen evolution potential than TiO2-NTs/PbO2. The removal of RhB by TiO2-NTs/Ce-PbO2 anode was investigated under different conditions. It was found that a higher current density, acidic or quasi-neutral solution and the presence of chloride ions promoted the removal efficiency of RhB. The good electrocatalytic performance of TiO2-NTs/Ce-PbO2 makes it a promising anode for treatment of organic pollutants in aqueous solution.