Addition of IrO2 to RuO2+TiO2 coated anodes and its effect on electrochemical performance of anodes in acid media

Ternary mixed metal oxide coatings with the nominal composition IrxRu(0.6−x)Ti0.4O2 (x=0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3) on the titanium substrate were prepared by thermal decomposition of a chloride precursor mixture. Surface morphology and microstructure of the coatings were investigated by Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. Systematic study of electrochemical properties of these coatings was performed by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and polarization measurements. The corrosion behavior of the coatings was evaluated under accelerated conditions (j=2 A cm−2) in acidic electrolyte. The role of iridium oxide admixture in the change of electrocatalytic activity and stability of Ru0.6Ti0.4O2 coating was discussed. Small addition of IrO2 can improve the stability of the RuO2+TiO2 mixed oxide, while the electrocatalytic activity for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is decreased. The shift of redox potentials for Ru0.6Ti0.4O2 electrode that is slightly activated with IrO2 and improvement in the stability can be attributed to the synergetic effect of mixed oxide formation.