Electrocatalytic Activity of Titanium Based Nd-doped RuO2-Co3O4 Electrodes for Oxygen Evolution

Abstract:

Ti-supported Nd-doped RuO2-Co3O4 electrodes were prepared by thermal decomposition at 400 oC. The parameters of Nd-doping content were optimized. The morphology, the composition and the structure of the coating anode were characterized by SEM, EDX, and XRD. The electrocatalytic activity for oxygen evolution and the stability of the electrodes were studied by open-potential, cyclic voltammetry, polarization curve and damaged checking. The results show that Nb doping can lead to fine grains of surfaces and full crystals, promote RuO2 enrichment, and increase the active sites. Catalytic performance of the mixed oxide electrodes containing 20:1 Nd-doping content is the best, with the greatest voltammetric charge, 686 mC·cm-2, and the lowest apparent activation energy for oxygen evolution, 16.76 kJ/mol. The increase of binding force between the electrode substrate and the coating contribute to a longer electrode life than the blank electrode, reaching to 158 h.

Key words:RuO2; Nd; oxygen evolution; electrocatalytic activity