FeCoNiMn/Ti electrode prepared by magnetron sputtering for efficient RhB degradation

Complex concentrated alloys (CCAs) with good catalytic performance have attracted considerable attention in dye wastewater treatment. However, there are few studies on CCAs as electrode materials for the electrochemical treatment of wastewater. In this work, FeCoNiMn thin film was deposited on a Ti substrate by direct current (DC) magnetron sputtering to obtain FeCoNiMn/Ti electrode. The composition and structure of the electrodes were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM). Then Rhodamine B (RhB) was used as the model pollutant to evaluate the electrochemical oxidation activity and cycling stability of the electrode. The results show that the FeCoNiMn thin film is amorphous with a thickness of about 780 nm. RhB (10 mg/L) was almost completely degraded at a current density of 10 mA/cm2 within 270 min. Furthermore, the FeCoNiMn/Ti electrode could maintain the degradation ability of RhB in four consecutive cycles. The degradation mechanism of RhB was discussed and the failure cause of the electrode was analyzed in detail. •FeCoNiMn/Ti electrode was prepared by DC magnetron sputtering.•FeCoNiMn thin film is an amorphous structure.•FeCoNiMn/Ti as anode has good degradation performance and cycling stability.