Electrocatalytic properties and electrochemical stability of polyaniline and polyaniline modified with platinum nanoparticles in formaldehyde medium

We report the electro-oxidation of formaldehyde on polyaniline films modified with Pt nanoparticles (PANI-Pt films) in an aqueous sulfuric acid solution. The electrodeposition of Pt particles on the PANI matrix was found to promote a mass loss of the film, with a similar effect occurring after cycling the PANI films in the acidic medium containing formaldehyde. However, despite the electrochemical instability of PANI-Pt films, on films containing larger amounts of incorporated Pt particles, the oxidation of formaldehyde produces adsorbed CO species (COads) at a lower positive potential than on bulk Pt. Our findings also indicate that electro-oxidation of COads on the PANI-Pt film surface depends not only on the thickness of PANI film but also on the amount of Pt particles incorporated into the PANI matrix. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.