Exploring well-defined TiO2 nanotube arrays for enhancing SnO2-Sb-Nd-Pt electrode performance

The short service life and low catalytic activity of electrodes are the major bottlenecks limiting the practical applications of current electrocatalytic oxidation technology in wastewater treatment. In this study, a novel Ti/SnO 2 -Sb-Nd-Pt electrode loading TiO 2 nanotube (TiO 2 -NTs) array was proposed and prepared. The optimized TiO 2 nanotube (TiO 2 -NTs) arrays provided abundant anchoring sites for SnO 2 -Sb-Nd-Pt active coating and improved the bonding strength between the Ti matrix and the SnO 2 -Sb-Nd-Pt active coating as a mediator, as a result, higher electrocatalytic performance and stability. The nitrobenzene (NB) removal and service life were significantly higher in Ti/TiO 2 -NTs/SnO 2 -Sb-Nd-Pt (91.08 % and 4381.9 days) when compared to Ti/SnO 2 -Sb-Nd-Pt (80.61 % and 1151.2 days). In addition, the outstanding electrocatalytic performance of Ti/TiO 2 -NTs/SnO 2 -Sb-Nd-Pt with an oxygen evolution potential of 2.03 V and total voltametric charge of 5.88 mC cm −2 makes it a promising candidate for future industrial applications. These findings will lay a solid foundation for broadening the applications of well-defined TiO 2 -NTs arrays prepared via the two-step anodization.