Electrochemical Oxidation Degradation of Methylene Blue Dye on 3D-Printed Anode Electrodes.

Abstract

This study presents an innovative strategy for the electrochemical degradation of methylene blue (MB) using 3D-printed helical anode electrodes fabricated from commercially available conductive Polylactic acid/carbon black (PLA/CB) filaments. The choice of PLA/CB is particularly significant, since the amorphous PLA matrix combined with a percolating carbon black network provides a biodegradable, low-cost, and chemically versatile polymer composite that can be transformed from a simple prototyping filament into a functional electrochemical platform. Through a combination of chemical/electrochemical activation and electrodeposition of copper nanoparticles (Cu NPs), the polymer electrodes were successfully converted into highly efficient catalytic platforms. Beyond material functionalization, the influence of electrode geometry was systematically investigated, comparing single-, double-, and triple-spiral helical configurations. The double-spiral geometry proved the most effective, offering the best balance between active surface area and electrolyte flow dynamics. Under mild conditions (2 V, pH 6, 0.1 M NaCl), the system achieved up to 97% MB removal, while also demonstrating remarkable stability and reusability over at least ten consecutive cycles. These results highlight the synergistic role of polymer chemistry, arrangement, and metal decoration, demonstrating how 3D printing can be a useful platform for the easy production of electrodes with different geometries, even starting from simple conductive filaments reused in sustainable and scalable functional materials for advanced wastewater treatment.