Abstract:
In this work, the electrochemical oxidation behavior of Mn
2+ ions in sulfuric acid solutions was systematically studied via cyclic voltammetry, linear voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and electrolytic experiments. The results show that a passivation phenomenon is present in the electro-oxidation process of Mn
2+ to MnO
2, suggesting that the applied current should be reasonably controlled to reduce the side reactions caused by polarization. To achieve high-efficient MnO
2 electrolysis, the anodic potential should be controlled within an appropriate range to avoid oxygen evolution and the generation of MnO
4- ions. Increasing the electrolytic temperature can significantly relieve the passivation on the interface during the electrolysis of MnO
2, and combined with reasonable anodic current control, a higher current efficiency can be obtained. The optimum current efficiency of 96.6% for MnO
2 electrolysis is achieved when the anodic current is 6 mA/cm
2 and at 80 ℃ in 50 g/L H
2SO
4 solution containing 25 g/L Mn
2+.