Preparation of nanosheet-based spherical Ti/SnO2-Sb electrode by in-situ hydrothermal method and its performance in the degradation of methylene blue

Abstract Electrocatalytic oxidation technology and dimensionally stable anodes are widely used in the field of organic dye wastewater treatment. Rational manipulation of microscopic morphology, surface chemistry, and electrode configuration on DSA is of prime importance to enhance its electrochemical performance in the electrocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants. Herein, a novel Ti/SnO2-Sb anode with a microsphere structure composed of nanosheet was prepared by the in-situ hydrothermal method. And this electrode was compared with a control sample prepared by the traditional thermal decomposition method in terms of microscopic morphology, chemical structure, and electrochemical performance in the degradation of methylene blue. Benefiting from the nanosheet structure, small grain size, and higher Sb2O5 content, the electrode prepared by the hydrothermal method had a higher Oxygen Evolution Potential (2.09V), a smaller impedance (8.61Ω), and a larger Electrochemical Active Surface Area. And its removal rate of methylene blue reached 100% while the total organic carbon content reduced by 39.20% within 60 minutes, which is significantly superior to that of traditional thermal decomposition electrodes. This study highlights that the electrode prepared by single-step hydrothermal process shows more excellent catalytic performance than that by the traditional thermal decomposition process and the hydrothermal method has bright application prospects in DSA for electrocatalytic oxidation.