Simultaneous electrochemical ozone production and hydrogen evolution by using tantalum-based nanorods electrocatalysts

OH radicals produced via an eco-friendly O 3 decomposition reaction in water are employed in a wide range of applications. In this work, three-dimensional (3D) β-PbO 2 /Ta 2 O 5 and Pt/Ta 3 N 5 samples with a rod-like morphology were successfully fabricated and coupled to carry out electrochemical ozone production (EOP) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), respectively. Moreover, the results on the in-situ electrodegradation of dimethoate also indicate that the β-PbO 2 /Ta 2 O 5 NRs show a great potential to be used in advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) applications. Experimental results and theoretical calculations reveal that the excellent EOP performance of the β-PbO 2 /Ta 2 O 5 NRs can be attributed to the adsorption energy of the O species, which can be modulated via the synergic effect between β-PbO 2 and Ta 2 O 5 . This work provides a reference for the development of stable electrocatalysts with high efficiency for the simultaneous production of O 3 and H 2 in environmental applications and energy conversion.