An innovative titanium dioxide (TiO2) mesh electrode was prepared by anodis
ation, in which 0.5 M sulphuric acid was used as electrolyte and titanium (
Ti) metal mesh was anodised in a two stage anodic process. The innovated me
sh electrode was examined using Raman spectroscopy to determine the formati
on of TiO2 layer when different potentials of 120 V, 140 V, 160 V, and 180
V were applied in anodisation. Microporous surface of the electrode was als
o examined using scanning electron microscopy. The photocatalytic (PC) oxid
ation and photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) oxidation were studied using the new
electrode for treating synthetic wastewater solutions of dye and trichlorop
henol (TCP) respectively. The colour removal efficiency of 68% was achieved
using the 160V-mesh electrode for treating wool dye solution after 80 minu
tes reaction time. However, it was found that a significant substrate adsor
ption on the surface of the mesh electrode could not be avoided when pH was
below PHIEP of TiO2=6.3. In this condition, electrostatic adsorption occur
red between the anionic substrate molecules and positively charged TiO2 sur
face, The adsorbed substrate anion occupied most active sites of TiO2 on th
e mesh electrode surface and significantly reduced the performance efficien
cy of photo-oxidation, when the TiO2 mesh electrode was reused. The experim
ent demonstrated that TCP adsorption on the mesh electrode could be signifi
cantly eliminated, when pH of TCP solution was adjusted to above 7. When ra
ising pH in TCP photodegradation eliminated substrate adsorption, it was co
nfirmed that PC oxidation with application of a potential bias could enhanc
e the photo-oxidation rate and a repeatable photo-oxidation rate could be m
aintained when the same mesh electrode was reused in its following tests.