Preparation and characterization of oxide film electrodes

In this paper are presented data on the preparation and characterization of different oxide electrodes. RuO2–TiO2, IrO2–TiO2, and SnO2–Sb2O5 mixed-oxide films have been taken as model systems. For the first, the traditional preparation method based on the pyrolysis of precursor salt deposits was adopted. For the SnO2-based films, the spray pyrolysis preparation has been used. The characterization of RuO2–TiO2 films confirms the existence of a solid solution between the two component oxides over a wide composition range. Rutherford backscattering spectrometry confirms the occurrence of segregation of titanium oxide species in the outermost part of the films. Nuclear reaction analysis indicates that large amounts of carbon and hydrogen impurities are trapped in the oxide films. SnO2-based films were found to be less porous and chemically more simple. The differences between the two systems have been discussed in terms of the preparation method and the differences in chemical properties of the precursors. Keywords: oxide film electrodes, mixed-oxide films, Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, nuclear reaction analysis.