Regulation of the microenvironment of Pb2O3@Bi2O3-tube by structural reconstruction for boosting the electrochemical ozone production performance

Abstract

Electrochemical ozone preparation (EOP) provided a novel technological path for on-site preparation of ozone. However, the elucidation of authentic active sites within anodic electrocatalysts during the EOP process remained a formidable challenge. Herein, tubular Bi₂O₃ was synthesized and Pb₂O₃ particles were embedded inside the tubular structure by wet chemistry methodologies (named Pb₂O₃@Bi₂O₃-tube). The unique structure could expose the active site and enhances the coupled contact between the reactive species and the active site. More importantly, the Pb₂O₃@Bi₂O₃-tube electrocatalyst showed a dissolution remodeling phenomenon during the EOP reaction, and partially transformed into sheet Bi₂₄Pb₂O₄₀. Correspondingly, structural characterization revealed that the reconfigured electrocatalyst induces changes in the electronic environment. Moreover, the reconfigured electrocatalyst also provides more active sites and faster electron transfer capability, which could optimize the microenvironment for electrochemical reactions and accelerating the EOP reaction. The satisfactory electrodegradation performance of the reconfigured electrocatalysts for organic pollutants implied their capability for environmental applications.