Electrode and preparation method and use thereof

Abstract

Provided are an electrode and a preparation method and use thereof. The electrode includes a modified anode and a modified cathode, where the modified anode includes an anode and a first hydrophobic porous layer coated on a surface of the anode, and the modified cathode includes a current collector, a carbon catalysis layer attached to a surface of the current collector, and a second hydrophobic porous layer attached to a surface of the carbon catalysis layer. A material of the first hydrophobic porous layer and a material of the second hydrophobic porous layer are independently at least one selected from the group consisting of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), polyacrylonitrile (PAN), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), and polysulfone (PSF).

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An electrode, comprising a modified anode and a modified cathode, wherein
 the modified anode comprises an anode and a first hydrophobic porous layer coated on a surface of the anode;   the modified cathode comprises a current collector, a carbon catalysis layer attached to a surface of the current collector, and a second hydrophobic porous layer attached to a surface of the carbon catalysis layer; and   a material of the first hydrophobic porous layer and a material of the second hydrophobic porous layer are independently at least one selected from the group consisting of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), polyacrylonitrile (PAN), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), and polysulfone (PSF).   
     
     
         2 . The electrode of  claim 1 , wherein raw materials for preparing the carbon catalysis layer comprise a binder and a carbon material, the carbon material comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of carbon black, activated carbon, and graphene, and the binder comprising one or more selected from the group consisting of a PTFE binder, a PVDF binder, a PAN binder, a PMMA binder, a PP binder, a PE binder, and a PSF binder. 
     
     
         3 . The electrode of  claim 2 , wherein a mass ratio of the carbon material to the binder is in a range of 1-5:1. 
     
     
         4 . The electrode of  claim 1 , wherein the first hydrophobic porous layer has a thickness independently of 8 μm to 20 μm and a pore size of 0.1 μm to 10 μm, and the second hydrophobic porous layer has a thickness independently of 12 μm. 
     
     
         5 . The electrode of  claim 1 , wherein the carbon catalysis layer has a thickness of 0.01 mm to 1 mm. 
     
     
         6 . A method for preparing the electrode of  claim 1 , comprising:
 preparing the modified anode by a process comprising:
 subjecting a solution of a first hydrophobic polymer material to first dispersion and stabilization in a first organic solvent to obtain a first diluted hydrophobic polymer solution; 
 loading the first diluted hydrophobic polymer solution to the surface of the anode to obtain a first hydrophobic porous layer-loaded anode, wherein the loading is conducted under first heating to remove the first organic solvent; and 
 subjecting the first hydrophobic porous layer-loaded anode to first heat treatment to obtain the modified anode; and 
   preparing the modified cathode by a process comprising the steps of:
 subjecting the binder and the carbon material to second dispersion and stabilization in a second organic solvent to obtain a carbon catalysis mixture; 
 loading the carbon catalysis mixture to the surface of the current collector to obtain a carbon catalysis layer-loaded cathode, wherein the loading is conducted under second heating to remove the second organic solvent; 
 subjecting the carbon catalysis layer-loaded cathode to second heat treatment to obtain a carbon material air cathode; and 
 subjecting a solution of a second hydrophobic polymer material to third dispersion and stabilization in a third organic solvent to obtain a second diluted hydrophobic polymer solution; and loading the second diluted hydrophobic polymer solution to a surface of the carbon material air cathode to obtain the modified cathode, wherein the loading is conducted under third heating to remove the third organic solvent. 
   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the first organic solvent, the second organic solvent, and the third organic solvent are independently one or more selected from the group consisting of absolute ethanol, dimethylacetamide (DMAc), dimethylformamide (DMF), dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), and sulfolane (MSDS). 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the first heat treatment is conducted at a temperature of 100° C. to 400° C. for 10 min to 60 min. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the second heat treatment is conducted at a temperature of 60° C. to 400° C. for 10 min to 60 min. 
     
     
         10 . A method of using the electrode of  claim 1 , comprising using the electrode in synthesis of H 2 O 2  by an in-situ electrocatalytic oxygen reduction reaction in a membrane-free electrolyzer. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein raw materials for preparing the carbon catalysis layer comprise a binder and a carbon material, the carbon material comprising one or more selected from the group consisting of carbon black, activated carbon, and graphene, and the binder comprising one or more selected from the group consisting of a PTFE binder, a PVDF binder, a PAN binder, a PMMA binder, a PP binder, a PE binder, and a PSF binder. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein a mass ratio of the carbon material to the binder is in a range of 1-5:1. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the first hydrophobic porous layer has a thickness independently of 8 μm to 20 μm and a pore size of 0.1 μm to 10 μm, and the second hydrophobic porous layer has a thickness independently of 12 μm. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the carbon catalysis layer has a thickness of 0.01 mm to 1 mm. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein raw materials for preparing the carbon catalysis layer comprise a binder and a carbon material, the carbon material comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of carbon black, activated carbon, and graphene, and the binder comprising one or more selected from the group consisting of a PTFE binder, a PVDF binder, a PAN binder, a PMMA binder, a PP binder, a PE binder, and a PSF binder. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein a mass ratio of the carbon material to the binder is in a range of 1-5:1. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the first hydrophobic porous layer has a thickness independently of 8 μm to 20 μm and a pore size of 0.1 μm to 10 μm, and the second hydrophobic porous layer has a thickness independently of 12 μm. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the carbon catalysis layer has a thickness of 0.01 mm to 1 mm.