Radical Scavenger Properties of Some 1,2-Dithiol Compounds Against Electropolymerization of Aniline

Abstract

The kinetics of aniline electropolymerization was investigated in

acidic H₂O/CH₃CN solutions and in presence of some 1,2-dithiol compounds.

The reactions were studied under cyclic potential scanning to

measure the electric charge involved between the redox states of the

electrodeposited polymers. The electrochemical growth of electrodeposits

was kinetically dependent upon the dithiol. Generally, in presence

of 1,2-dithiol compounds the growth of electropolymer was slower than

observed for aniline alone. In the presence of 3-aminophenyl-5-(4-

methoxyphenyl)-1,2-dithiol the aniline electropolymerization was

accelerated and led to an improvement in the conductivity of polymer

films. In order to establish the nature of the process, aniline electropolymerization

or co-polymerization with the 1,2-dithiol compounds, electrodeposits

were prepared on vitreous carbon plates and then analyzed by

scanning electron microscopy. The morphology was a fibrillar one and

the analysis showed that sulfur element was inside the electrodeposits.