Preparation and characterization of PbO2 electrode modified with a mixture of PEG and CPB

PbO2 electrode modified with a mixture of polyethylene glycol (PEG, non-ionic surfactant) and cetylpyridinium bromide (CPB, cationic surfactant) was prepared by electrodeposition method. The micro-structure and electrochemical properties of the modified electrode were investigated by SEM, XRD, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and liner sweep voltammetry (VA) techniques. Results show that PEG and CPB display synergistic effect in improving the micro-structure of PbO2 coating which refine the crystalline grains of electrode. The combined modification of PEG and CPB can enhance the electro-catalytic activity of PbO2 electrode for phenol degradation, and 98.7% degradation ratio of phenol with an initial concentration of 100 mg·L?1 can be obtained at 2.5 h. The modified electrode has larger active surface area, lower charge-transfer resistance and higher oxygen evolution potential, and these characteristics promote the electro-catalytic activity of the PbO2 electrode for decomposition of organic matter. © Right.