Electrocatalytic properties of Ti/RuO2-TiO2 dimensionally stable anode type electrodes modified with SnO2 and Ta2O5 for the oxygen evolution reaction

Dimensionally stable anodes (DSAs) have presented promising functionality and technological applications. Therefore, the present work investigates electrodes with ternary and quaternary compositions at different atomic proportions, aiming to investigate their influence on the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The DSAs have evidenced the presence of RuO 2 in the tetragonal structure and TiO 2 in the rutile phase. Furthermore, their morphology has been investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), evidencing the presence of thin oxide films in the form of cracks on the metal surface. The electrochemical results have indicated that the electrode with the composition of Ti/RuO 2 -SnO 2 -Ta 2 O 5 (44:11:45 atomic %) presented the highest anodic charge in the active layer in comparison to other ones, showing the value of 41.67 mC cm −2 , and evidencing that SnO 2 and Ta 2 O 5 have favored the system's electrochemical performance. Therefore, the results have demonstrated that the combination of conducting and semiconducting oxide can influence the electronic conductivity, confirming the efficiency of DSAs in applications for OER. • The presence of Ta increased the stability and activity of the materials. • XPS spectra suggest the involvement of multiple elements in the formation of oxide films. • The composition of the Ti/RuO 2 -TiO 2 -SnO 2 -Ta 2 O 5 (42:32:4.8:17) electrode proved to be susceptible to drastic operating conditions. • At high overpotential, the DSAs showed a mixture of mechanisms.