Electrochemical cell design for the impedance studies of chlorine evolution at DSA(®) anodes

A new electrochemical cell design suitable for the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) studies of chlorine evolution on Dimensionally Stable Anodes (DSA(®)) has been developed. Despite being considered a powerful tool, EIS has rarely been used to study the kinetics of chlorine evolution at DSA anodes. Cell designs in the open literature are unsuitable for the EIS analysis at high DSA anode current densities for chlorine evolution because they allow gas accumulation at the electrode surface. Using the new cell, the impedance spectra of the DSA anode during chlorine evolution at high sodium chloride concentration (5 mol dm(-3) NaCl) and high current densities (up to 140 mA cm(-2)) were recorded. Additionally, polarization curves and voltammograms were obtained showing little or no noise. EIS and polarization curves evidence the role of the adsorption step in the chlorine evolution reaction, compatible with the Volmer-Heyrovsky and Volmer-Tafel mechanisms.

Electrocatalytic properties and stability of titanium anodes activated by the inorganic sol-gel procedure

The properties of activated titanium anodes, RuO2-TiO2/Ti and RuO2--TiO2-IrO2/Ti, prepared from oxide sols by the sol-gel procedure, are reviewed. RuO2 and TiO2 sols were synthesized by forced hydrolysis of the corresponding chlorides in acid medium. The morphology of the prepared sols was investigated by transmission electron microscopy. The chemical composition of the RuO2 sol was determined by X-ray diffraction and thermogravimetric analysis. The loss of electrocatalytic activity of a RuO2-TiO2/Ti anode during an accelerated stability test was investigated by examination of the changes in the electrochemical characteristics in the potential region of the chlorine and oxygen evolution reaction, as well as on the open circuit potential. These electrochemical characteristics were investigated by cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and polarization measurements. The changes in electrochemical characteristics of the anode prepared by the sol-gel procedure were compared to the changes registered for an anode prepared by the traditional thermal decomposition of metal chlorides. The comparison indicated that the main cause for the activity loss of the sol-gel prepared anode was the electrochemical dissolution of RuO2, while in the case of thermally prepared anode the loss was mainly caused by the formation of an insulating TiO2 layer in the coating/Ti substrate interphase. The results of an accelerated stability test on RuO2-TiO2/Ti and RuO2--TiO2-IrO2/Ti anodes showed that the ternary coating is considerably more stable than the binary one, which is the consequence of the greater stability of IrO2 in comparison to RuO2.

The role of the concentration profile of titanium oxide on the electrochemical behavior of RuO2-TiO2 coatings obtained by the sol-gel procedure

In order to understand the role of TiO2 in the deactivation mechanism of an active RuO2?TiO2 coating, an additional TiO2 layer was introduced in the support coating interphase of regular Ti//[RuO2?TiO2 anode in one case and on the surface of the coating in the other. The electrochemical behavior of these, with TiO2 enriched, anodes was compared with the behavior of anodes with regular RuO2?TiO2 coatings, which were subjected to an accelerated stability test. A high-frequency semicircle in the complex plane plot obtained by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, for a regular RuO2?TiO2 coating corresponds to TiO2 enrichment in the coating as a consequence of anode corrosion. In the case of the coatings with additional TiO2 layers, a high-frequency semicircle was not observed. The additional TiO2 layers increase the coating overall resistance and influence the coating impedance behavior at low frequencies. Similar equivalent electrical circuits were used to analyze the impedance behavior of coatings having an additional TiO2 layer at different position within RuO2?TiO2 coating.