Electrochemical synthesis and properties of polyaniline on thermally prepared RuO₂ electrodes

The polymerization of aniline was electrochemically performed on RuO₂ and Pt electrodes in 0.5 M H₂SO₄ using cyclic voltammetry. The results showed that the rate of aniline polymerization was strongly dependent upon the upper anodic potential limits of cyclic voltammetry as well as upon the type of anodic substrates employed. In comparison to polymerization rates of aniline on a RuO₂ electrode, those on a Pt electrode were higher and lower for cyclic voltammetric scans of -0.2 to 0.8 V and - 0.2 to 1.2 V, respectively. The results of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) showed that the aniline degradation products easily form during polymer growth, at -0.2 to 1.2 V.