Facile preparation of polyaniline/MnO2 nanofibers and its electrochemical application in the simultaneous determination of catechol, hydroquinone, and resorcinol

In this study, polyaniline/MnO2 nanofibers were synthesized by the simple mixing of aqueous dispersed solution of polyaniline (PANI) nanofibers and KMnO4 aqueous solution. Materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction, nitrogen sorption, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and FT-IR. The electrochemical oxidation of hydroquinone, catechol, and resorcinol was investigated using cyclic and differential pulse voltammetries at PANI/MnO2 modified electrode. PANI/MnO2 exhibited high current sensitivity for these analytes compared to MnO2 and PANI modified electrodes, which is due to the presence of highly dispersed MnO2 in PANI matrix. The performance of this material was demonstrated in the detection of hydroquinone, catechol, and resorcinol in water samples. The reliability and stability of the modified electrode provides a good possibility for applying the technique in routine analysis for a selected class of electroactive organic/bio-molecules.