Modified Electrodes Obtained By Electrochemical Codeposition of Some Conducting Polymers and Carbon Nanotubes with Different Dopants

Abstract

Nanoporous composite films of functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWANTs) and (3, 4 –ethylene dioxythiophene) (PEDOT), 1-aminofenol and 3 methyltiophen with different dopants (anionic surfactants) were grown electrochemically from 0.1M LiClO4 aqueous solutions such that constituents were deposited simultaneously onto substrate electrodes. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that the composite films consisted of nanoporous networks of SWANTs coated with polymeric film. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) demonstrated that these composite films had similar electrochemical response rates to pure polymeric films but a lower resistance and much improved mechanical integrity. The synthetic, morphological and electrochemical properties of nanocomposite materials type PEDOT/ FCNTs / dopants were compared. The negatively charged carbon nanotubes (CNTs) served as anionic dopant during the electropolymerization to synthesize polymer/CNTs composite films. Conducting polymers can be doped and dedoped rapidly to high charge density and as a result are potential active materials for use in various electrochemical applications. Thus an important application is the fabrication of modified electrodes. The specific electrochemical capacitance of the composite films is a significantly greater value than that for pure polymer films prepared similarly. Using these composite films, the modified electrodes with improved properties were obtained.