Experimental study and theoretical calculation on the conductivity and stability of praseodymium doped tin oxide electrode

Ti/SnO2-Sb2O4-Pr2O3/PbO2 anodes are prepared by electrodepositing method. The electrodes are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The degradation of phenol experiment and accelerated life test of the electrode are carried out. Futhermore, the formation energy, band structure and density of states (DOS) are calculated by first principles calculations. The results show that Pr doping can change the phase of SnO2 and prevent the spread of the oxygen to the substrate, lower the interfacial resistance. The catalytic degradation of phenol rate is 58.3% when the doping ratio is 100:8. The service life of electrode reaches the maximum of 121 hours under a high current density of 4 A cm−2 in 1 mol L−1 of H2SO4 solution at 60 °C when the doping ratio is 100:8. Moreover, at the same doping ratio, the formation energy and band gap reach the minimums of -15.59 eV and 0.656 eV respectively. The experiments are consistent well with the theories. Thus, we conclude that the praseodymium doped tin oxide electrode is one promising acid-proof anode.