Electrode for electrolysis and electrolysis unit

Abstract

There are disclosed an electrode for electrolysis capable of efficiently forming ozone by electrolysis of an electrolytic solution (e.g., water) at ordinary temperature with a low current density, and an electrolysis unit using the electrode. The electrode for electrolysis includes a substrate and a surface layer formed on the surface of the substrate, and the surface layer is made of an amorphous insulator, for example, a thin film of amorphous tantalum oxide, amorphous tungsten oxide or amorphous aluminum oxide.

1 . An electrode for electrolysis comprising a substrate and a surface layer formed on the surface of the substrate,
 wherein the surface layer is an amorphous insulator.   
   
   
       2 . The electrode for electrolysis according to  claim 1 , wherein the insulator is an oxide of a single metal or a composite metal oxide. 
   
   
       3 . The electrode for electrolysis according to  claim 1  or  2 , wherein the insulator is tantalum oxide or tungsten oxide. 
   
   
       4 . The electrode for electrolysis according to  claim 1  or  2 , wherein the insulator is aluminum oxide. 
   
   
       5 . The electrode for electrolysis according to  claim 1 ,  2 ,  3  or  4 , wherein a thickness of the surface layer is in a range of 20 nm or more to 2000 nm or less. 
   
   
       6 . The electrode for electrolysis according to  claim 1 ,  2 ,  3 ,  4  or  5 , wherein the substrate is provided with an intermediate layer positioned on an inner side of the surface layer and made of a metal which is not easily oxidized on the surface of the substrate. 
   
   
       7 . An electrolysis unit in which an anode having water permeability is constituted of the electrode for electrolysis according to  claim 1 ,  2 ,  3 ,  4 ,  5  or  6  and in which the anode and a cathode having water permeability are arranged on both surfaces of a cation exchange film.