<p>In the current work, anodic electrodeposition in an electrolyte containing varying concentrations of Mn(NO₃)₂.4H₂O was used to fabricate a novel titanium-based Mn-doped PbO₂ coating on titanium substrate. Energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to characterize the microstructure of the coatings. The electrochemical behavior and the stability of the electrodes was assessed using cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and the accelerated life test (ALT). Furthermore, in the zinc electrowinning process, the performance of PbO₂–MnO₂ anodes was compared with PbO₂ and traditional Pb–Ca–Sn anodes. These findings demonstrated that the creation of a microporous coating is promoted by the doping of Mn into PbO₂ coating. It was discovered that the PbO₂–MnO₂ anode had a greater service life than both PbO₂ and traditional Pb anodes. In comparison to PbO₂ and Pb anodes, the Mn-doped anode has the lowest charge transfer resistance and the best electrocatalytic activity. Additionally, in the zinc electrowinning process, the composite PbO₂–MnO₂ anode shows higher efficiency, higher corrosion resistance, longer service life, and lower cell voltage.</p> Graphical abstract <p></p>