Performance Enhancement of Ti/IrO2-Ta2O5 Anode through Introduction of Tantalum–Titanium Interlayer via Double-Glow Plasma Surface Alloying Technology

Abstract

Ti/IrO2-Ta2O5 electrodes are extensively utilized in the electrochemical industries such as copper foil production, cathodic protection, and wastewater treatment. However, their performance degrades rapidly under high current densities and severe oxygen evolution conditions. To address this issue, we have developed a composite anode of Ti/Ta-Ti/IrO2-Ta2O5 with a Ta-Ti alloy interlayer deposited on a Ti substrate by double-glow plasma surface alloying, and the IrO2-Ta2O5 surface coating prepared by the traditional thermal decomposition method. This investigation indicates that the electrode with Ta-Ti alloy interlayer reduces the agglomerates of precipitated IrO2 nanoparticles and refines the grain size of IrO2, thereby increasing the number of active sites and enhancing the electrocatalytic activity. Accelerated lifetime tests demonstrate that the Ti/Ta-Ti/IrO2-Ta2O5 electrode exhibits a much higher stability than the Ti/IrO2-Ta2O5 electrode. The significant improvement in electrochemical stability is attributed to the Ta-Ti interlayer, which offers high corrosion resistance and effective protection for the titanium substrate.