Electrochemical synthesis and characterization of poly[8-(3-acetylimino-6-methyl-2,4-dioxopyran)-1-aminonaphthalene] film electrodes in acidic aqueous medium

The electrooxidation of 8-(3-acetylimino-6-methyl-2,4-dioxopyran)-1-amino-naphthalene Schiff base in acidic aqueous solution containing 0.1 M H2SO4 yielded a polymer film on glassy carbon electrode. The electrooxidative polymerization process was studied by potential sweep electrolysis and controlled potential electrolysis. The film showed a reversible well-defined redox system in aqueous acidic solutions. The factors that affected the electroactivity of the film, such as scan repetition, number of cycles used for the film formation, concentration of sulphuric acid in the electrolytic medium and scan rate (ν) were studied in detail. The modified electrode was shown to decrease the overpotential for oxidation of some redox species, such as catechol, hydroquinone. In addition to the decrease in overpotential, there was also an increase in the current for the oxidation process. The electrode was stable chemically and electrochemically both in aqueous and organic solutions, making it excellent candidate for sensing and/or electrocatalytic applications.