Effect of the surface roughness of conducting polypyrrole thin-film electrodes on the electrocatalytic reduction of nitrobenzene

Conducting polypyrrole (PPy) thin-film electrodes were prepared by the electropolymerization of pyrrole on gold-coated glass plates. Films of various roughnesses were obtained by the variation of the scan rates during electropolymerization. These thin films were modified by doping with 6mM of the dopant NiCl₂. The surface morphology of the films was studied by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM), which suggested films prepared with a high scan rate were rougher in nature than the films produced with a low scan rate. The electrocatalytic reduction of nitrobenzene was carried out with these electrodes with the cyclic voltammetry technique in acetonitrile containing 0.1M HClO₄ as a supporting electrolyte. The various results obtained show that the conducting PPy thin-film electrodes were catalytically active toward the electroreduction process. The modified PPy film electrodes doped with NiCl₂ were more active toward nitrobenzene electroreduction than the PPy film alone. The results indicate that the roughness of the films played a very important role in determining their catalytic activity. The PPy films that were more rough in nature were catalytically more active than the smooth films; this may have been due to the availability of more reactive sites in the case of rough films. The apparent diffusion coefficients of the PPy film electrodes were also calculated. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012     

Two reduction processes of conducting polypyrrole tosylate film in aqueous solutions

The electrochemical properties of polypyrrole tosylate [PPy(TsO⁻)] in aqueous solutions were investigated by cyclic voltammetry and ac impedance measurements. The cyclic voltammograms (CVs) of PPy(TsO⁻) show two reduction processes. Two doping sites of the counteranions in PPy(TsO⁻), site A with the counteranions located between the PPy layers and site B with the counteranions located in the PPy layers, were proposed based on the results of the electrochemical studies, and the partial counteranion exchange occurred when PPy(TsO⁻) was dipped in a 1 mol/L HNO₃ aqueous solution. The reduction of site A is accompanied by the dedoping of counteranions and the reduction of site B is carried out with the insertion of solution cations. The electrochemical kinetics of the redox processes of site A was analyzed based on the ac impedance results. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 79: 350–355, 2001     

Preparation of conducting composites of polypyrrole using supercritical carbon dioxide

Supercritical carbon dioxide, saturated with pyrrole, was brought into contact with oxidant‐impregnated films of poly(chlorotrifluoroethylene) (PCTFE), crosslinked poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS), poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), and porous crosslinked polystyrene (PS) in order to form conducting composites via the in situ polymerization of pyrrole. The two nonporous hosts—PCTFE and crosslinked PDMS—did not form conducting composites with polypyrrole (PPy). On the other hand, the electrical conductivity of the PPy composites with carbon dioxide‐swollen PMMA and porous PS ranged from 1.0 × 10^?4 S/cm to 3.0 × 10^?5 S/cm. In these two cases, the level of pyrrole polymerized on the surface or in the pores of the host polymer was sufficient to attain the interconnected conducting polymer networks necessary for electrical conductivity. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 90: 1113–1116, 2003     

Dopant macroinitiator for electropolymerisation and functionalisation of conducting polymer thin films

Grafting of polymer brushes from conducting polymer (CP) thin films by controlled radical polymerisation provides a versatile route for the synthesis of functional, electroactive surfaces, with applications in diverse fields. However, one of the drawbacks of this approach is the difficulty of upscaling the synthesis due to the need for specialised CP precursor monomers functionalised with initiation sites. We herein describe an alternative approach to the synthesis of CP‐based polymer brushes whereby atom transfer radical polymerisation initiation sites are attached to a macrodopant incorporated into CP films during electropolymerisation. The facile electropolymerisation of commonly studied CPs with an initiator‐functionalised macrodopant – poly[(styrene sulfonate)‐co‐(2‐bromopropionyloxyethyl methacrylate)] – is demonstrated. The composite polymer films thus synthesised were used as substrates for grafting of hydrophilic polymer brushes. Although poly(styrene sulfonate) is commonly used as a macrodopant in CP films, its initiator‐functionalised derivatives have not previously been utilised in this manner. Despite the elegance of this approach, to the authors' knowledge, there have been no previous examples reported of utilising macromolecular dopants as initiators for subsequent grafting of polymer brushes. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry     

Recovery of gold cyanide using inherently conducting polymers

Removal of gold from basic solutions containing [Au(CN)₂]^? has been demonstrated using the inherently conducting polymer polypyrrole. Polymers containing sulfonated aromatic dopants have been found to display a significant ability to remove gold from such solutions. Experiments performed in solutions containing both gold and copper cyanide complexes indicate that the recovery process is not highly selective. However, the polypyrroles used display significantly faster rates of gold recovery than activated carbon. © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry     

掺杂多孔碳材料催化硝基苯还原反应的研究进展

苯胺是重要的化工原料和合成中间体,通过硝基苯的催化还原反应可以方便地制备苯胺类化合物。多孔碳材料因其高比表面积、发达的孔隙结构和容易回收等特点在催化领域越来越受到重视,然而其应用受到自身活性位点缺乏和化学惰性的限制。杂原子掺杂可以增强碳材料的表面极性,调节电子结构,改善其催化性能,可作为硝基苯催化还原反应的有效催化剂。本文对近年来掺杂多孔碳材料在硝基苯催化还原反应中的研究进展进行了总结。本文概述了氮掺杂型多孔碳材料、共掺杂型多孔碳材料、负载贵金属的掺杂多孔碳材料和负载廉价金属的掺杂多孔碳材料这4种主要的掺杂多孔碳材料的制备方法,并详细介绍了不同掺杂多孔碳材料在催化硝基苯催化还原反应时的催化性能、可能的催化活性位点以及催化机理。最后,指出目前掺杂多孔碳材料催化硝基苯还原还需要解决反应选择性、催化剂催化活性和生产成本等问题,以生物质为前体,开发共掺杂型和二元双金属负载的掺杂多孔碳材料是未来的重要发展方向之一。     

Electroless recovery of gold chloride using inherently conducting polymers

Conducting polymers deposited onto reticulated vitreous carbon (RVC) were shown to remove gold from aqueous solutions in a facile and highly efficient fashion. For acidic solutions with initial [AuCl₄]^? concentrations between 0.1 and 1000 ppm, gold recoveries >90% were obtained. Experiments, conducted using solutions containing 0.1 ppm [AuCl₄]^?, also demonstrated that the composite materials were significantly more effective at recovering gold than activated carbon. Gold removal from solutions containing [AuCl₄]^? and much higher concentrations of iron was highly selective. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry     

Fabrication of conducting polymer-gold nanoparticles film on electrodes using monolayer protected gold nanoparticles and its electrocatalytic application

We wish to report a simple and new strategy for the fabrication of gold nanoparticles-conducting polymer film on glassy carbon (GC) and indium tin oxide (ITO) surfaces using 5-amino-2-mercapto-1,3,4-thiadiazole capped gold nanoparticles (AMT-AuNPs) in 0.01 M H₂SO₄ by electropolymerization. The presence of amine groups on the surface of the AuNPs was responsible for the deposition of the AMT-AuNPs film on the electrode surface. The atomic force microscopy (AFM) studies reveal that the fabricated p-AMT-AuNPs film showed homogeneously distributed AuNPs with a spherical shape of ∼8 nm diameter. The XPS spectrum shows the binding energies at 83.8 and 87.5 eV in the Au 4f region corresponding to 4f_7/2 and 4f_5/2, respectively. The position and difference between these two peaks (3.7 eV) exactly match the value reported for Au⁰. The N1s XPS showed three binding energies at 396.7, 399.6 and 403.3 eV, corresponding to the NH, –NH– and –N⁺H–, respectively, confirming that the electropolymerization proceeded through the oxidation of –NH₂ groups present on the periphery of the AMT-AuNPs. The application of the present p-AMT-AuNPs modified electrode was demonstrated by studying the electro reduction of oxygen at pH 7.2. The p-AMT-AuNPs film enhanced the oxygen reduction current more than three times than that of p-AMT film prepared under identical conditions.     

离子液体RMimBF4中硝基苯电还原传荷特性

采用循环伏安法研究了离子液体RMimBF₄中硝基苯在微铂电极上电还原动力学特性参数——传递系数α的变化规律。研究结果表明,离子液体中,硝基苯电还原过程的第2个电子转移反应是速度控制步骤。该反应的传递系数α随硝基苯浓度增加而减小;相同浓度时,温度升高,α迅速增大。在离子液体EMimBF₄-水-硝基苯体系中,相同硝基苯浓度下,随水含量增加,α先减小,后增大。不同离子液体中,α的变化规律为：EMimBF₄＞〖JP〗BMimBF₄＞HMimBF₄。     

SECM imaging of electrocatalytic activity for oxygen reduction reaction on thin film materials

The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) on sputtered Pt thin films in acidic solution was successfully studied by scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) in a modified tip generation-substrate collection (TG-SC) mode. SECM images of ORR activity in different sample areas were obtained and it is shown that this TG-SC SECM technique can be used to screen electrocatalytic activity of continuous thin film samples efficiently and quickly for the ORR in an acidic medium. It is observed that this technique is not very sensitive to the tip-substrate separation within a certain range. The SECM images obtained are strongly dependent on the substrate potential. The advantages of this technique for studying ORR electrocatalysts are discussed.     

Electrochemically stimulated 2‐ethylhexyl phosphate (EHP) release through redox switching of conducting polypyrrole film and polypyrrole/poly (N‐methylpyrrole) or self‐doped polyaniline bilayers

2‐Ethylhexyl phosphate (EHP) released from poly(pyrrole 2‐ethylhexyl phosphate) (PP‐EHP) was investigated at open circuit and compared with electrochemically stimulated release during potential cycling. It was found that the fast EHP release from the PP‐EHP single layer is substantially retarded and that amounts of spontaneously and electrochemically released EHP can be reduced by constructing bilayers, consisting of a PP‐EHP inner layer and a poly(N‐methylpyrrole)‐poly(styrene sulfonate) (PNMP‐PSS) or self‐doped poly(aniline) sulfonate (SPANI) as the outer films. The presence of outer film over the PP‐EHP allowed surface‐property modification, as well as the control of the rate of EHP release, while electrochemically stimulated EHP release from inner films was not substantially hampered by the outer layer. The quantity of the EHP released was investigated using UV‐vis spectrophotometery and an electrochemical quartz‐crystal microbalance (EQCM) during reduction of PP‐EHP from single layer and bilayers through electrochemical stimulation. EHP was reincorporated to the inner film by applying an anodic potential and then the release of EHP was performed again. The results showed that the outer film could act as a barrier to ion‐and solvent‐transport between the inner film and electrolyte, yielding a more balanced counter‐directional movement of anions. © 2002 Society of Chemical Industry     

Studies of influence of naphthalene mono/disulfonic acid dopant on thermal stability of polypyrrole

Thermal stability of polypyrrole (PPY) synthesized by in situ doping polymerization in the presence of different naphthalene mono/disulfonic acid dopant like α-naphthalene sulfonic acid (α-NSA), β-naphthalene sulfonic acid (β-NSA), and 1,5-naphthalene disulfonic acid (1,5-NDSA) has been systematically investigated by thermogravimetric analysis (TG). It was found that the thermal stability of as-resulted PPY was greatly affected by type and concentration of dopant. In general, the order of their thermal stability was PPY-(β-NSA) > PPY-(α-NSA) ≈ PPY-(1,5-NDSA). And high concentration of dopant (e.g., 1.2 mol/L) had a negative effect on the thermal stability. Among those three dopants, 1,5-NDSA had a unique influence on thermal stability and crystallinity of as-resulted PPY. In addition, all of room-temperature conductivity and crystallinity of PPY-(1,5-NDSA) changed dramatically after aging for 9 h under N₂ atmosphere and at 230°C, which may be due to a partly dedoping process. These results were confirmed by elemental analysis, FTIR, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD). © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

In situ synthesis of Pt nanoparticles in hyperbranched thin film for electrocatalytic reduction of dioxygen

Hyperbranched thin film (HTF) with amino and imino groups, which can accommodate PtCl₆²⁻, was synthesized with small organic molecules on gold substrate based on SN₂ displacement reaction. Platinum nanoparticles (Pt_NPs) were in situ synthesized by electrochemically reduction of precursors, PtCl₆²⁻, within HTF. The prepared films were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). It was confirmed that densely packed Pt_NPs were prepared with a narrow size distribution. EIS indicated that HTF inhibits electron transfer slightly while Pt nanoparticles in the HTF enhanced the electron-transfer ability greatly. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) indicated that HTF containing Pt_NPs exhibited a remarkable electrocatalytic activity for the electrochemical reduction of dioxygen. The quantity of Pt_NPs could be expediently controlled by the thickness of HTF. So the catalytic ability can be tailored correspondingly.     

Electrocatalytic reduction of dioxygen at glassy carbon electrodes modified with polypyrrole/anthraquinonedisulphonate composite film in various pH solutions

Functionalized polypyrrole (PPy) film with anthraquinonedisulphonate (AQDS) incorporated as dopant was prepared by anodic polymerization of pyrrole (Py) at a glassy carbon electrode from aqueous solution. The electrochemical behavior of AQDS in PPy matrix and the electrocatalytic reduction of dioxygen on the resulting composite film were investigated in various pH solutions. The formal potential of AQDS and the reduction potential of dioxygen both exhibit pH dependence. In all pH solutions employed, the electrocatalytic reduction of dioxygen at the PPy/AQDS composite film establishes a pathway of irreversible two-electron reduction to form hydrogen peroxide. The pH 6.0 buffer solution is a more suitable medium for the reduction of dioxygen, where the PPy/AQDS composite film showed a more efficient electrocatalytic performance. It was found that AQDS is an effective mediator for the reduction of dioxygen and the reduced AQ is responsible for the enhanced catalytic activity. The catalytic current is under mixed kinetic-diffusion control. The number of electrons transferred and kinetic parameters of dioxygen reduction were determined using cyclic voltammetry, rotating disk voltammetry and Tafel polarization technique.     

Microstructured conducting polymer coatings on plastic strip for contact electrodes: Formulation and tuning of sheet resistance

Mechanically strong and flexible strips of cellulose acetate were used to support a thin coating of poly(3,4 ethylenedioxythiophene) : poly(styrene sulfonic acid) PEDOT : PSS, an intrinsically conducting polymer (ICP), formulated with an aqueous dispersion of judiciously chosen copolymer of vinyl acetate and ethylene (VAE), to impart adhesion of the coating onto the substrate. Incorporation of a few drops of an organic acid to the formulation resulted in a substantial reduction of the sheet resistance of the coated surface. When the coated strips were post‐treated with a salt solution, a further fine tuning of the sheet resistance by a factor of 10 was achieved. The coated strips combine high conductivity with flexibility and mechanical strength. The performance of the coated strips has been evaluated in relationship to composition, coating thickness, and sheet resistance for application as contact electrodes. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 104: 234–237, 2007     

Microstructure effect of carbon nanofiber on electrocatalytic oxygen reduction reaction

Carbon nanofibers (CNFs) with controlled microstructures, i.e. platelet CNF (p-CNF), fish-bone CNF (f-CNF) and tube CNF (t-CNF), are synthesized, and their behaviors in electrocatalytic oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in acid media are investigated in this paper. The physico-chemical properties of the CNFs are characterized by high resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM), N₂ adsorption–desorption and Raman spectrum. Cyclic voltammetry experiments show that the CNFs have higher ORR activities than graphite. The p-CNF, which has the highest ratio of edge atoms to basal atoms, demonstrates the most positive ORR onset potential and ORR peak potential. The f-CNF, which has the largest amounts of ORR active sites, exhibits the highest ORR peak current. The t-CNF demonstrates the most negative ORR onset potential, negative ORR peak potential, and the least ORR peak current, which is a result of the fewest catalytic active sites. Furthermore, the microstructures of CNFs can impact the reaction process. The ORR on p-CNF or f-CNF is controlled by diffusion, while the ORR on t-CNF is jointly controlled by surface reaction and diffusion.     

Oxygen reduction on oxide/polypyrrole composite electrodes: effect of doping anions

Multilayered composite electrodes on glassy carbon, GC, having the structure GC/PPy/PPy(Ox)/PPy, with PPy the polypyrrole and Ox a mixed valence oxide of transition metals, exhibit high reactivity and stability towards the oxygen reduction reaction (orr), when the orr proceeds electrocatalytically on the oxide particles dispersed throughout the inner layer, PPy(Ox). However the nature and concentration of the doping anions, A, of PPy have a profound effect on the resulting orr currents, due to their effects on the conductivity and morphology of the PPy layers. The paper shows and discusses these effects in the case of the composite electrode with Ox = Cu_1.4Mn_1.6O₄ and A = Cl⁻, ClO₄⁻, NO₃⁻, PF₆⁻ and SO₄²⁻, in acid solution (pH 2.2). Optimal conditions were encountered with Cl⁻.     

Study of the hypophosphite effect on the electrochemical reduction of nitrobenzene on Ni

The effect of the hypophosphite ion on the electrochemical reduction of nitrobenzene on Ni was evaluated from a cyclic voltammetric study and from constant potential electrolysis in an aqueous-ethanol alkaline medium. The results were compared with the data obtained in an hypophosphite-free solution. It was found that in an hypophosphite containing solution an unusual selective reduction of nitrobenzene to nitrosobenzene occurs. It is the first time that nitrosobenzene is detected as the reaction product of the nitrobenzene electrochemical reduction in an aqueous-ethanol solution. It is proposed that the Ni modified surface which is formed upon hypophosphite oxidation is responsible for the non reducibility of nitrosobenzene. The effect of the electrode potential on the nitrobenzene electrolysis on a Ni modified electrode was analysed. It was concluded that the highest nitrosobenzene yield (33%) and selectivity (82%) is achieved at −1.1 V. It was also found that the formation of nitrosobenzene leads to an electrode poisoning effect in the electrolysis process.     

Development of an electrochemical‐surface plasmon dual biosensor based on carboxylated conducting polymer thin films

A biosensing platform based on the covalent attachment of biomolecules on electropolymerized carboxylated conducting polymers, poly(3‐aminobenzoic acid) and poly(3‐pyrrole carboxylic acid), were developed for the selective simultaneous detection of two biomolecules using electrochemical‐surface plasmon resonance (EC–SPR) spectroscopy. The surface morphology of the developed biosensors was studied by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The EC–SPR dual biosensor was developed for the label‐free, simultaneous, and selective detection of glucose and human immunoglobulin G (IgG). A change in current density was clearly observed after the injection of glucose, whereas a change in SPR reflectivity was clearly observed after the injection of human IgG. The present work demonstrates the potential of this biosensing platform for real sample analysis in the future. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018 , 135, 45641.