Effect of quaternary cations on the electrochemical synthesis of polyaniline and its degradation

Abstract

Polyaniline(PANI) was prepared by adding three different quaternary ammonium salts to H2SO4 electrolyte and the effect of the cations on the electrochemical degradation of PANI film was researched. The electropolymerized films were characterized by cyclic vollammetry, UV-vis spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The result showed that quaternary cations hindered gradually the polymerization of aniline with increase of the size, which made the porosity of the film smaller and the morphology more compact compared with pure PANI films. Al-though the cations didn't change the electrode reactive process of PANI, they affected the oxidation velocity of the films and the degradation rate of PANI in the following order: Bu 4N+ > Et4N+ > Me 4N+, and the stability of the films was enhanced.