Electrocatalytic properties of hydroxyapatite thin films electrodeposited on stainless steel substrates

In this work, we have investigated the structural, microstructural, and electrocatalytic properties of hydroxyapatite (HAp) thin films. The HAp films were electrodeposited on stainless-steel (SS) substrates by chronopotentiometry mode from an electrolytic solution. The HAp films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray energy dispersion spectroscopy (EDS). The electrodeposition and electrochemical processes of the hydroxyapatite (HAp) phase were studied by cyclic voltammetry. This HAp/SS system acting as an anode was used for the first time to electrodegrade Rhodamine B (RhB) in aqueous solutions. To follow the degradation kinetics, we used UV-visible spectroscopy. Several parameters such as the current density and the initial concentration of electrolytic solution were determined to optimize the electrodegradation of RhB. The decrease of RhB concentration followed pseudo-first order kinetics law. The rate of RhB degradation in presence of HAp/SS electrode can reach interesting high performance, depending on the electrocatalysis experimental conditions.