Electropolymerization of N-methylanthranilic acid and spectroelectrochemical characterization of the formed film

The electropolymerization of N-methylanthranilic acid (NMAA) is reported in this paper. The monomer is substituted both at ortho- and N-position and, to the best of our knowledge, it has not been previously electropolymerized. Electropolymerization of NMAA was done on glassy carbon and optically transparent (indium) tin oxide electrodes. The obtained films, which are probably of an oligomeric nature (oligoNMMA), were characterized with cyclic voltammetry (CV), in situ UV–vis and Raman spectroscopy, ex situ FTIR spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM).Our results show that NMAA can be electropolymerized as thin films in 1.0 M HClO₄, but the oxidation and reduction peak currents in the CVs indicate that the formed oligoNMAA films are thinner than poly(N-methylaniline) or poly(N-butylaniline) films prepared under similar conditions. The CV and UV–vis measurements confirm that oligoNMAA have three oxidation states like suggested in the redox scheme of substituted polyanilines. The Raman spectra of oligoNMAA also verify that more quinoid units are formed at higher potentials in accordance with the redox scheme. The ex situ FTIR measurement proves that covalently attached carboxylic acid groups are present in the film structure and attached to the oligoNMAA backbone.