Controllable preparation of Ti/TiO2-NTs/PbO2–CNTs–MnO2 layered composite materials with excellent electrocatalytic activity for the OER in acidic media

Abstract High oxygen evolution overpotential and low corrosion resistance are the main challenges for oxygen evolution materials in acidic media. In this study, a novel composite material, Ti/TiO2-NTs/PbO2–CNTs–MnO2, with high oxygen evolution electrocatalytic activity was successfully prepared. First, TiO2 nanotubes (TiO2-NTs) were synthesized in situ on a Ti sheet via anodization and used as an intermediate layer. Subsequently, the adhesion and conductivity of the TiO2-NTs layer were increased through additional anodization, annealing, and electrochemical reduction. Finally, PbO2 was electrodeposited with a constant current in a lead acetate medium and doped with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and MnO2. The surface morphology, phase composition, and electrochemical performance of the composite materials were investigated. Notably, in an acidic electrolyte (150 g/L H2SO4), Ti/TiO2-NTs/PbO2–CNTs–MnO2 exhibited good stability (30 h) and a low oxygen evolution overpotential of 410 mV at 50 mA/cm2, which is almost equivalent to that of precious metals (RuO2 and IrO2) and 499 mV lower than that of the industrial Pb–0.76 wt% Ag alloy. The outstanding performance is mainly attributed to the high aspect ratio of the TiO2-NT structure, synergistic effects of the active particles, and inherently good electrochemical properties of the active particles. Therefore, this study provides a new synthetic route for oxygen evolution materials in acidic media.