The electropolymerization and electrocatalytic properties of polymerized new fuchsin film modified electrodes

Abstract

Electropolymerization of new fuchsin produces two types of stable and electrochemically active films in strong and weak acidic aqueous solutions. These films can be produced on glassy carbon, platinum, gold, and transparent semiconductor tin oxide electrodes. An electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance and cyclic voltammetry were used to study the in situ growth of poly (new fuchsin) films. New fuchsin is a molecule that has three branched monomers, and its polymerization forms a dendrimer. The polymer films showed redox couples, and when transferred to various acidic to weak basic aqueous solutions, the formal potential versus pH plot had a slope of −60 mV pH −1. The electrocatalytic reduction of HNO 2 by poly (neutral red) in a strong acidic aqueous solution showed obvious electrocatalytic reduction activity. A modified electrode containing a hybrid of two organic films was also prepared from poly (new fuchsin) and poly (neutral red) films. The two films, with a formal potential difference of about 0.6 V, were both electrocatalytically active for IO 3 − oxidation, but produced different products in strongly acidic aqueous solution. The electrocatalytic reduction of BrO 3 − was achieved only by poly (neutral red) in a strongly acidic aqueous solution. The polymer films also reduced SO 5 2−, IO 4 − and Cr 2O 7 2− electrocatalytically, and oxidized ascorbic acid electrocatalytically in aqueous solution.