Electroreflectance study of redox reaction of heptylviologen at a silver electrode

Abstract

The potential-modulated electroreflectance (ER) method was employed to investigate the redox behaviour of heptylviologen at a silver electrode. The reoxidation behaviour of the deposited cation radical film was studied by using dc, ac and ER voltammograms. The changes in the properties of the film with time, i.e. the ageing effect, were readily monitored by cyclic ER voltammograms. The forms of the cation radical in the film were identified by ER spectra. It was found that the ageing effect was suppressed by incorporating heptylviologen molecules into polystyrene sulphonate.