Porous PbO2 Research Articles

Removal of triazole fungicides of 1H-1,2,4-triazole from pesticide tailwater by electrochemical oxidation using meso-flower PbO2 layer electrode

In this work, a novel Ti/TiO2-NTA/meso-flower PbO2 electrode (TMF-PbO2) was developed by anodic oxidation and modified oxygen bubble-template electrodeposition. Characterization of the electrode confirmed that the meso-flower layer exhibited a unique 3D and hierarchical structure with a rough morphology. N2 adsorption-desorption isotherms and cyclic voltammetry suggested that TMF-PbO2 possessed a 2.18 times larger specific surface area and at least a 1.46 times larger electroactive area than the electrode with a porous PbO2 layer. The investigation of the effect of the operation parameters indicated that the optimal conditions were a pH value of 3, supporting electrolyte concentration of 10.0 g L−1 and current density of 25 mA cm−2. The electrochemical degradation of 1H-1,2,4-triazole (Tz) by TMF-PbO2 was studied by HPLC and LC‒MS with the assistance of quantum chemical calculations. The TMF-PbO2 achieved 100% removal of Tz and 70.4% removal of COD on the advanced treatment of actual pesticide tailwater with an energy consumption of 29.40 kWh kg−1 COD. The EC50,48 h value and BOD5/COD ratio of the treated wastewater were 70.6±5.9% and 0.64, respectively, indicating significantly low toxicity and high biodegradability. Cyclic testing also suggested that TMF-PbO2 was stable during application. The excellent performance of TMF-PbO2 in this study indicated that this kind of electrode is highly applicable for the treatment of pesticide tailwater.

MnCo2O4 decorating porous PbO2 composite with enhanced activity and durability for acidic water oxidation

Developing a promising catalyst with both improved activity and robust durability for the oxygen evolution (OER) in an acidic electrolyte is extremely desirable. Here we constructed a novel MnCo2O4 decorating PbO2 electrode (3D-Ti/α-PbO2/β-PbO2-MnCo2O4) with a sandwich-like structure via a successive co-precipitation and co-electrodeposition onto porous titanium (3D-Ti) support. The experimental results indicated that the introduction of porous titanium is essential for achieving a unique porous structure architecture. In addition, the adoption of MnCo2O4 increased the contact area with electrolyte due to the large BET surface area of 144.06 cm2 g−1. Consequently, the synthesized 3D-Ti/α-PbO2/β-PbO2-MnCo2O4 composite electrode exhibited a low overpotential of 379 and 453 mV at 10 and 50 mA cm−2, respectively, as well as a minor Tafel slope of 133 mV per decade in 0.5 M H2SO4 solution. Furthermore, 3D-Ti/α-PbO2/β-PbO2-MnCo2O4 presents robust durability, keeping steady for more than 140 h at 50 mA cm−2 and without observable performance degradation, which is superior to many reported state-of-the-art non-precious OER catalysts. This route is for creating and synthesizing non-precious and superior performance catalysts for electrolysis and beyond.

Quick fabrication of evenly porous PbO2 through potential linear increase electrodeposition

Anodic oxidation electrodeposition is the primary way to prepare lead dioxide anode. The regulation of the external circuit for the reaction is a unique advantage of electrocatalytic reaction, which can regulate crystallization and accelerate the reaction process. In this study, lead dioxide coatings with uniform pore size distribution were quickly prepared on three different substrates by potential linear increase electrodeposition (PLIED). Morphology and structure analysis shows that the prepared electrodes have uniform porous morphology, and Ti/SnO2/PLIED has the smallest grain size. Three electrodes all display well degradation performance to azophloxine and diclofenac sodium. Ti/PLIED, and Ti/SnO2/PLIED are appreciated for degrading organics with a simple structure in low concentrations. At the same time, Ti/SnO2/PLIED is more suitable for complex organics in high concentrations. Electrochemical activity tests indicate the different mechanisms of the PLIED electrodes that build the other degradation performance. Three PLIED electrodes show excellent electrical and electrochemical stability during the cycle degradation process. The results provide a reference for the subsequent anodic oxidation electrodeposition research and the regulating effect of the external circuit on coating properties.

Anodized graphite as an advanced substrate for electrodeposition of PbO2

Graphite plate has been employed as a crucial substrate for electrodeposition of PbO2 to increase charge transfer and electronic conductivity. This work is evaluated the effect of electrochemical pretreatment (anodization in alkaline, acidic, and buffer solution) on graphite substrate to be reported as an advanced substrate for PbO2 electrodeposition. The morphological features and electrochemical performance are analyzed by using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), X-Ray diffraction (XRD), chronopotentiometry, cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), Linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) and Tafel plot. The results are indicated that the roughness, porosity, and capacitance are increased after the anodization. Also, the charge transfer resistance is decreased for oxygen evolution reactions on the graphite surface. Although alkaline anodization is provided the lowest electrical capacitance, it is created the highest charge transfer resistance in comparison to acidic and buffer anodization. The deposition of PbO2 on the alkaline anodized graphite substrate is formed the porous PbO2 architecture with small particle sizes and the highest current efficiency. It also is shown the lowest ohmic resistance (0.48 ohm) and charge transfer resistance (2.44 ohm). Therefore, the result can be drawn that the electrochemical activity of PbO2 coated on BG could be enhanced by the alkaline anodization of graphite substrate.

Electrocatalytic degradation of diuron herbicide using three-dimensional carbon felt/β-PbO2 anode as a highly porous electrode: Influencing factors and degradation mechanisms

Traditional planar PbO2 anodes have been used extensively for the electrocatalytic degradation process. However, by using porous PbO2 anodes that have a three-dimensional architecture, the efficiency of the process can be significantly upgraded. In the current study, carbon felt (CF) with a highly porous structure and a conventional planar graphite sheet (G) were used as electrode substrate for PbO2 anodes. Both CF/β-PbO2 and G/β-PbO2 anodes were prepared by the anodic deposition method. The main properties of the electrodes were characterized by XRD, EDX-mapping, FESEM, and BET-BJH techniques. The electrocatalytic degradation of diuron using three-dimensional porous CF/β-PbO2 anode was modeled and optimized by a rotatable central composite design. After optimizing the process, the ability of porous CF/β-PbO2 and planar G/β-PbO2 anodes to degrade and mineralize diuron was compared. The electrocatalytic degradation of the diuron was well described by a quadratic model (R2 > 0.99). Under optimal conditions, the kinetics of diuron removal using CF/β-PbO2 anode was 3 times faster than the G/β-PbO2 anode. The energy consumed for the complete mineralization of diuron using CF/β-PbO2 anode was 2077 kWh kg−1 TOC. However, the G/β-PbO2 anode removed only 65% of the TOC by consuming 54% more energy. The CF/β-PbO2 had more stability (115 vs. 91 h), larger surface area (1.6287 vs. 0.8565 m2 g−1), and higher oxygen evolution potential (1.89 vs. 1.84 V) compared to the G/β-PbO2. In the proposed pathways for diuron degradation, the aromatic ring and groups of carbonyl, dimethyl urea, and amide were the main targets for HO• radical attacks.

Deposition of FeOOH layers onto porous PbO2 by galvanic displacement and their use as electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reaction

Abstract The galvanic displacement reaction between sacrificial PbO2 layers and Fe(II) ions has been carried out in mildly acid acetate solutions. The effect of experimental variables, like morphology of the PbO2 layers, solution pH, temperature and concentration of Fe(II) ions, has been investigated by combining electrochemical methods, SEM-EDS, XRD and XPS. The reaction between PbO2 and Fe(II) ions produced secondary dual layers, consisting of an inner amorphous FeOOH film and an outer crystalline γ-FeOOH deposit, respectively. This peculiar behavior was in contrast with analogous reactions involving other transition metal ions, which yielded only continuous amorphous secondary oxide layers. PbO2/FeOOH layers were tested as anodes for the oxygen evolution reaction in basic media.

Fabrication and characterization of porous titanium-based PbO2 electrode through the pulse electrodeposition method: Deposition condition optimization by orthogonal experiment

Porous titanium-based PbO2 electrodes were successfully fabricated by pulse electrodeposition method. The primary pulse electrodeposition parameters, including pulse frequency (f), duty ratio (γ), average current density (Ja) and electrodeposition time (t) were considered in this study. An orthogonal experiment was designed based on those four factors and in three levels. SEM images and XRD results suggest that the surface morphology and structure of PbO2 electrodes could be easily changed by varying pulse electrodeposition parameters. Orthogonal analysis reveals that the increase of f and Ja could decrease the average grain size of PbO2 electrodes, which is conducive to create more active sites and promote the generation of hydroxide radicals. The electrochemical degradation of Azophloxine was carried out to evaluate the electrochemical oxidation performance of pulse electrodeposited electrodes. The results indicate that the influences of four factors can be ranked as follow: Ja >γ≈ t > f. The higher f, larger Ja and longer t could facilitate the optimization of the integrated electrochemical degradation performance of prepared PbO2 electrode. The accelerated life time is dominated by Ja and t, coincident with the average weight increase of β-PbO2 layer. The optimal parameters of pulse electrodeposition turn out to be: f = 50 Hz, γ = 30%, Ja = 25 mA cm−2, t = 60 min. Together, the consequences of the experiments give assistance to uncover and roughly conclude the mechanism of pulse electrodeposition.

A Novel Porous Ni, Ce-Doped PbO2 Electrode for Efficient Treatment of Chloride Ion in Wastewater

The porous Ti/Sb-SnO2/Ni-Ce-PbO2 electrode was prepared by using a porous Ti plate as a substrate, an Sb-doped SnO2 as an intermediate, and a PbO2 doped with Ni and Ce as an active layer. The surface morphology and crystal structure of the electrode were characterized by scanning electron microscope(SEM), energy dispersive spectrometer(EDS), and X-Ray diffraction(XRD). The electrochemical performance of the electrodes was tested by linear sweep voltammetry (LSV), cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and electrode life test. The results show that the novel porous Ni-Ce-PbO2 electrodes with larger active surface area have better electrochemical activity and longer electrode life than porous undoped PbO2 electrodes and flat Ni-Ce-PbO2 electrodes. In this work, the removal of Cl− in simulated wastewater on three electrodes was also studied. The results show that the removal effect of the porous Ni-Ce-PbO2 electrode is obviously better than the other two electrodes, and the removal rate is 87.4%, while the removal rates of the other two electrodes were 72.90% and 80.20%, respectively. In addition, the mechanism of electrochemical dechlorinating was also studied. With the progress of electrolysis, we find that the increase of OH- inhibits the degradation of Cl−, however, the porous Ni-Ce-PbO2 electrode can effectively improve the removal of Cl−.

Investigation on the oxide-oxide galvanic displacement reactions employed in the preparation of electrocatalytic layers

Galvanic displacement reactions between sacrificial oxide layers and metal cations, leading to the formation of secondary oxide layers, have been studied with the aim of collecting new experimental evidence on their mechanism. The study has been carried out by combining electrochemical methods, SEM-EDS and XPS depth profiling. Both porous and compact PbO2 layers have been used as sacrificial oxides and reacted, in different experiments, with: (i) a single low-valent cation, (ii) two cations in sequential exchange reactions or (iii) two cations simultaneously. The experimental results converged to show (i) a lack of correlation between the reaction driving force and the secondary oxide growth rate, (ii) the incorporation of cations from solution at the secondary oxide/electrolyte interface, (iii) the transport of Pb species through the growing secondary oxide layer and (iv) a major effect of mass transport on the growth rate.

Three-dimensional hierarchically porous PbO2 electrode for electrochemical degradation of m-cresol

The modification of PbO2 electrode with high catalytic activity and stability for electrochemical degradation of pollutants remains a great challenge. Accordingly, a novel three-dimensional hierarchically porous PbO2 electrode with polypyrrole (PPy) as middle layer (marked as Ti/SnO2–Sb/PPy/PbO2) was developed for the first time. The physicochemical characterization results showed more intact and ordered “pyramid” structures were formed when the PPy was introduced to be the middle layer of PbO2 electrode. Additionally, the crystallinity of PbO2 and the proportion of adsorbed hydroxyl oxygen were all increased significantly. The electrochemical characterization results showed the active surface area and oxygen evolution overpotential of PbO2 electrode were also improved with PPy middle layer as middle layer. Besides, the electrode film resistance was reduced greatly. Also the PbO2 electrode with PPy middle layer possessed higher degradation ability of m-cresol and lower energy consumption. Above results indicated the physicochemical and electrochemical characterization of PbO2 electrode were all enhanced significantly with the introduction of PPy middle layer. Also the phenomenon that current-controlled reaction would transformed into diffusion-controlled reaction in the process of electrochemical degradation was observed. The effects of experimental parameters on electrochemical degradation were evaluated, indicating lower initial m-cresol concentration, higher current density, temperature and pH were beneficial for electrochemical degradation of m-cresol. Additionally, a possible degradation pathway of m-cresol was proposed. Finally, the continuous experiments of m-cresol degradation indicated the Ti/SnO2–Sb/PPy/PbO2 electrode possessed stable degradation ability and high safety within 30 days.

Electrochemical degradation of bromophenol blue on porous PbO2–ZrO2 composite electrodes

The electrochemical performance of porous PbO2–ZrO2 composite electrode was studied with bromophenol blue (BPB) as the simulated pollutant. In the process of electrochemical degradation, the operational parameters were optimized, such as initial BPB concentration, current density, initial pH values and supporting electrolyte (Na2SO4) concentration. The results showed that the BPB and COD removal efficiency could reach 96.9% and 74.7%, respectively, after 90 min of electrolysis under the degradation parameters of initial BPB concentration of 30 mg L−1, current density of 40 mA cm−2, pH value of 4 and Na2SO4 solution of 0.07 mol L−1. The kinetic curves made clear that the electrochemical degradation of BPB followed pseudo-first-order reaction with high correlation coefficients (R2 > 0.99). Initial BPB concentration and applied current density greatly affected the electrochemical process, followed by the pH value, and the influence of supporting electrolyte was minimal. Ultraviolet–visible spectra and high-performance liquid chromatography analysis indicated that a small amount of intermediates were produced during the degradation process. After electrochemical degradation for 90 min, BPB and intermediates were almost completely removed. In terms of multiple aspects, electrochemical degradation had a good development prospect in the treatment of BPB wastewater.

Electrochemical Age Determinations of Metallic Specimens-Utilization of the Corrosion Clock.

Dating needs an age-dependent phenomenon (a "clock"), a procedure for monitoring the advance of time by measuring a physicochemical quantity, and, in the case of archeological artifacts, a sampling procedure that guarantees the representativity and integrity of the dated objects. Metal corrosion in an aerobic atmosphere is a phenomenon whose advance can in principle be used as a clock that depends on the environmental conditions. In spite of the limitation imposed by differences in local conditions of corrosion, a new approach for age determinations has been developed and applied as a feasible tool for age determinations of metallic specimens studied by archeologists and historians. These techniques allow the recording of specific electrochemical features characterizing the state of growth of corrosion patinas, i.e., they are based on corrosion clocks. The application of corrosion clocks for age determination is possible in favorable cases where the corrosion happened to proceed uniformly and continuously. The proposed methods for dating of lead, copper/bronze, leaded bronze, and gold are mainly based on the voltammetry of immobilized particles (VIMP). This technique is exceptionally useful in the archeological domain because it requires only submicrogram sample amounts and permits sampling of different locations on the object, thus yielding representative data collected essentially noninvasively. Reported methods for dating of metals include lead, copper/bronze, and gold, obviously in all cases assuming uniform conditions of corrosion in a moderately aggressive environment. In the case of lead, age markers are porous PbO and PbO2 formed in the secondary patina. In the case of copper/bronze, aging is accompanied by a rise in the tenorite-to-cuprite ratio in the secondary patina. These changes in the composition of the patina can be monitored electrochemically using VIMP. The case of gold is different, as no "true" corrosion patina is formed. Here the age marker is the increase in electrochemically active gold sites, which is ultimately related to the adsorption of oxygen species and its diffusion/interchange/spillover through the external layers of the metal surface. Conjointly considered, such methods provide a new research line intersecting electrochemistry and cultural heritage that can be expanded via improvements in calibration and analysis to become an operative tool in the archeological domain.

Electrochemical oxidation of pyrrole, pyrazole and tetrazole using a TiO2 nanotubes based SnO2-Sb/3D highly ordered macro-porous PbO2 electrode

A highly ordered three-dimensional macro-porous PbO2 (3D porous PbO2) electrode has been prepared for electrochemical oxidation of nitrogen-heterocyclic compounds. The 3D porous PbO2 electrode was fabricated by templated electrochemical deposition method with TiO2 nanotube arrays as substrate and SnO2-Sb as intermediate layer. The morphology and composition characterization of the 3D porous PbO2 electrode was performed by field emission scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction, which revealed a uniform distribution of highly ordered macro-porous β-PbO2 structure. The Brunner−Emmet−Teller analysis suggested the electrode possessed large specific surface area of 37.39 m2·g−1. Electrochemical measurements indicated the electrode had a favourable oxygen evolution potential of 1.89 V and inner voltammetric charge of 14.48 mC·cm−2, which were higher than that of conventional PbO2 electrode. Furthermore, the electrochemical oxidation and TOC removal percentage of pyrrole, pyrazole and tetrazole obtained by 3D porous PbO2 electrode were 93.4%, 72.7%, 61.2% and 66.7%, 57.3%, 38.6% respectively, which were also superior to conventional PbO2 electrode. The intermediates were detected and analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography, gas chromatography-mass spectrometer, and ion chromatography to propose a degradation pathway of pyrrole, pyrazole and tetrazole. Finally, quantum chemical calculation was introduced in this study by density function theory method, which is consistent with the experimental detection.

Preparation and Supercapacitive Performance of Lead Dioxide Electrodes with Three-Dimensional Porous Structure

The three-dimensional porous structure PbO2 electrodes (3D-PbO2 electrodes) were prepared in the lead nitrate solution by potentiostatically electrodeposition method using oxygen bubble as dynamic template, which can be used as the positive materials of the supercapacitors. The morphology and structure of 3D-PbO2 electrodes were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The supercapacitive performance of 3D-PbO2 electrodes were investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge-discharge tests (GCD) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The specific capacitance of 3D-PbO2 electrodes can reach 195.6 F g–1 at 0.2 A g–1, which is 2.8 times higher than that of Flat-PbO2 electrodes (68.8 F g–1). The charge transfer resistance (Rct) of 3D-PbO2 electrodes (8.21 Ohm cm–2) is lower than that of Flat-PbO2 electrodes (21.32 Ohm cm–2). The excellent supercapacitive performance of 3D-PbO2 electrodes can be attributed to the three-dimensional porous structure, which can enlarge the active surface area of lead dioxide electrodes and promote the electrolyte diffusion and electrons propagation.

Porous oxide electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reaction prepared through a combination of hydrogen bubble templated deposition, oxidation and galvanic displacement steps

Porous oxide layers active in the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) were prepared with the following sequence of steps: (i) porous Pb was produced by cathodic hydrogen bubble templated electrodeposition; (ii) Pb was partially converted to its oxides; (iii) Co3O4 shells were formed on the surface of lead/lead oxides nanowires by spontaneous galvanic displacement reactions. The effect of deposition current density and charge on the porous Pb morphology was studied. Deposits with extended surface areas were obtained and then oxidized in neutral Na2SO4 solutions. Pb and PbO2, initially coexisting in oxidized samples, underwent a spontaneous reaction leading to the formation of Pb3O4. Both PbO2 and Pb3O4 spontaneously reacted with Co2+ to yield Co3O4 layers. Co-modified electrodes described in this work had higher activity in oxygen evolution reaction (OER) than those obtained by submitting to galvanic displacement porous PbO2 layers prepared by oxygen bubble templated anodic deposition.

Preparation of porous oxide layers by oxygen bubble templated anodic deposition followed by galvanic displacement

Galvanic displacement reactions between porous PbO2, prepared by oxygen bubble templated anodic deposition, and the low-valent cations Mn2+, Co2+ and Sn2+, have been studied using electrochemical methods, SEM-EDS and XPS. These reactions occur at open circuit by immersion of PbO2 coated electrodes in aqueous solutions of the cations and lead to the formation of outer oxide layers onto porous PbO2, whose composition and chemical nature have been assessed by XPS. The growth of the outer oxide layers has been studied by combining Evans’ diagrams with SEM-EDS and XPS results, as a function of experimental variables, such as the chemical nature of the cations, their concentration and the solution temperature. The combination of oxygen bubble templated anodic deposition and galvanic displacement provides a route for the preparation of porous low-conductivity electroactive oxides not attainable by direct electrodeposition. Deposition of Co3O4 thin layers by galvanic displacement results in a strong enhancement of the activity of porous PbO2 electrodes in the oxygen evolution reaction.

Fabrication and photo-electrocatalytic activity of black TiO2 embedded Ti/PbO2 electrode

Black TiO2-modified Ti/PbO2 electrode was fabricated by the electro-codeposition method and characterized by transmission electron micrographs, scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffraction, photoluminescence, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The results indicated that the incorporation of black TiO2 nanoparticles facilitated the formation of porous PbO2 architecture, improved the oriented growth of [101] and [301] planes, and inhibited the oxygen evolution reaction. The degradation experiment of anthraquinone dye (reactive brilliant blue KN-R) indicated that black TiO2 embedded Ti/PbO2 electrode has higher photo-electrocatalytic activity than that of Ti/PbO2 electrode. Furthermore, the accelerated life test showed that the service life of black TiO2 embedded Ti/PbO2 electrode was much longer than that of Ti/PbO2 electrode. The enhancement of decolorization efficiency and stability for black TiO2 embedded Ti/PbO2 electrodes can be attributed to the formation of porous PbO2 architecture, the existence of photoelectric synergy, inhibition of the oxygen evolution reaction, and weakening of internal stress in PbO2 coatings. The black TiO2 embedded Ti/PbO2 electrode is considered as a promising anode for the treatment of organic pollutants. The black TiO2 embedded Ti/PbO2 electrode showed significant photoelectric synergy in PEC process for degradation of anthraquinone dye aqueous solution (reactive brilliant blue KN-R) owing to introduction of black TiO2.

Preparation and Electrocatalytic Performance of Three-Dimensional Porous Structure PbO2 Electrodes Using Oxygen Bubble as Dynamic Templates

The three-dimensional porous structure PbO2 electrodes (3D-PbO2) were successfully prepared in the lead nitrate solution by potentiostatically electrodeposition methods using oxygen bubbles as dynamic template. The morphology and structure of 3D-PbO2 electrodes were investigated by scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Compared with the traditional PbO2 electrodes (Flat-PbO2), 3D-PbO2 electrodes possess the three-dimensional porous structure and finer grain size. The electrochemical properties of 3D-PbO2 electrodes were investigated by linear sweep voltammetry (LSV), cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectrum (EIS). The 3D-PbO2 electrodes show larger electrochemical active surface area, lower charge transfer resistance and higher oxygen evolution overpotential than Flat-PbO2 electrodes. In the electrocatalytic degradation process of malachite green, the degradation rate constant of 3D-PbO2 electrodes (0.05189 min−1) was 5.8 times than that of Flat-PbO2 electrodes (0.00889 min−1).

Conversion of porous PbO2 layers through galvanic displacement reaction with Mn2 + ions

The galvanic exchange between Mn2+ ions and electrodeposited porous PbO2 was studied to produce a porous oxide whose lower conductivity prevented its direct oxygen bubble-templated anodic deposition. Immersion of PbO2 layers in acid acetate solutions of Mn2+ led to the formation of amorphous MnOx shell onto PbO2. Due to its amorphous nature, MnOx could not be proved to be MnO2 by XRD. However, MnOx was cathodically stripped at the same potential as MnO2. The deposition of the MnOx shell onto PbO2 enhanced the capacity of the porous electrodes.

Electrochemical degradation of Musk ketone in aqueous solutions using a novel porous Ti/SnO2-Sb2O3/PbO2 electrodes

This paper investigates the electrochemical degradation of Musk ketone (MK) in aqueous solution with a novel porous Ti/SnO2-Sb2O3/PbO2 electrode. The influence of electro-deposition preparation parameters on the surface structure and crystal characteristics of porous PbO2 electrode was systematically investigated by SEM and XRD in detail, including electro-deposition time, current density and deposition temperature. Compared with the conventional plate PbO2 electrode, the novel porous PbO2 had a higher stability, safety and removal efficiency for Musk ketone. Besides, the optimal degradation conditions were obtained by studying the effecting of different factors, such as electrolyte concentrations (0–0.12molL−1), current densities (10–50mAcm−2), initial pH (3−11) and initial Musk ketone concentrations (10–90mgL−1). The results showed that the removal rates of Musk ketone reached 99.93% after 120min electrolysis at initial 50mgL−1 Musk ketone at constant current density of 40mAcm−2 with 0.06molL−1 Na2SO4 supporting electrolyte. In addition, cyclic voltammograms tests indicated that the degradation of Musk ketone was mainly achieved via indirect electrochemical oxidation mediated by hydroxyl radical. Moreover, a possible electrochemical degradation pathway for Musk ketone was deduced based on the intermediates identified by GC–MS methods.