Preparation of TiCT modified rare earth doped PbO electrodes for efficient removal of sulfamethoxazole.

In this study, we deposited TiCT-modified, rare-earth-doped PbO on the surface of a carbon fabric via electrodeposition. The surface morphology and electronic structure of the electrode were characterized with SEM, XRD and XPS. The layered TiCT did not change the structure of β-PbO, and at the same time, it improved the crystallinity of the material and reduced the grains of PbO. Electrochemical experiments showed that the addition of TiCT increased the electrochemical activity of the electrode and produced more HO, which contributed to the degradation of pollutants. The efficiency of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) degradation reached 95% after 120 min at pH 3 with a current density of 50 mA/cm. Moreover, the electrode has good cycling performance, and the degradation efficiency was still 80% after 120 min after 10 cycles of recycling. Based on the intermediates identified by HPLC‒MS, a mechanism for SMX degradation was proposed. Our results will provide a new idea for the development of efficient electrocatalytic degradation of antibiotics.