Synthesis and characterization of a novel Ti/IrO2/(NbxOy)-SnO2 anode: Enhanced photo–assisted electrochemical treatment of bisphenol F

The growing presence of organic pollutants in the environment, with potential for bioaccumulation, poses serious risks to humans, animals, and aquatic organisms. Electrochemical advanced oxidation processes (EAOP) offer a promising solution for degrading these contaminants. This study proposes an effective strategy for enhancing the stability of SnO2–based electrodes by incorporating an IrO2 interlayer, into these electrodes, there by addressing a key limitation of conventional materials used in EAOP. Ti/IrO2/NbxOy–SnO2 electrodes were synthesized via the Pechini method, and the effect of calcination temperatures (400, 500, and 600 °C) was evaluated. Based on X–ray diffraction analyses, SnO2 was found to maintain its rutile phase across all the temperatures investigated, whereas NbO2 underwent conversion from the rutile to monoclinic Nb2O5 phase at 600 °C. The 500 °C electrode exhibited the highest electrochemically active surface area (2.2 and 3.0 times higher than of the 500 °C and 400 °C electrodes, respectively) and the lowest charge transfer resistance, though it displayed limited stability. The 500 °C electrode exhibited the best catalytic performance (~ 40% BPF removal in 90 min), achieving faster kinetics, a stronger synergistic effect (682%), and the lowest energy consumption (74 kWh L–1 order–1) when applied under the photo–assisted electrochemical oxidation process. The electrodes proposed in this study represent a significant advancement in the development of stable and efficient low–cost materials for application in combined electrochemical oxidation processes.