Polymeric-metal composite electrode-based electrochemical device for generating oxidants

A method, comprising:

• passing an electric current through an aqueous solution of an electrolyte by passing the electric current through an electrode of an electrolytic cell;
• wherein, said electrode is a metal electrode with at least one surface comprising a polymer coating, wherein the metal electrode is a metal plate or a metal foam electrode, and wherein the polymer coating comprises fibers formed using an electrospinning process, the polymer coating comprising structural units of formula I
• wherein R1 is independently at each occurrence a C1-C6 alkyl radical or —SO3M wherein M is independently at each occurrence a hydrogen or an alkali metal, R2 is independently at each occurrence a C1-C6 alkyl radical, a is independently at each occurrence an integer ranging from 0 to 4, and b is independently at each occurrence an integer ranging from 0 to 3;
• transporting at least some water from the aqueous solution through said coating to said metal substrate and reducing said water to produce hydroxide ions;
• and
• transporting said hydroxide ions back through said coating away from said metal substrate and into the aqueous solution thereby contacting the cations in the aqueous solution to produce hypochlorite.