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 SnO 2 –based electrodes by incorporating an IrO 2 interlayer, into these electrodes, there by addressing a key limitation of conventional materials used in EAOP. Ti/IrO 2 /Nb x O y –SnO 2 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, SnO 2 was found to maintain its rutile phase across all the temperatures investigated, whereas NbO 2 underwent conversion from the rutile to monoclinic Nb 2 O 5 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.