Electrochemistry of polyaniline: Study of the pH effect and electrochromism

Polyaniline was electrochemically synthesized from an aqueous medium with various acid electrolytes via potentiodynamic and potentiostatic techniques. The electrochemical synthesis of polyaniline was studied over various substrates, including Pt, Ti, Ni, and SnO2 coated glass, and in various acid electrolytes. Cyclic voltammograms of electrochemically synthesized polyaniline were studied in HCl in a pH range of 1-4. Probable electrochemistry and chemical changes were deduced that occurred when polyaniline film was electrochemically oxidized and reduced between -0.2 and 1.0 V versus a Ag/AgCl reference electrode in an acidic electrolyte at pH 1, and three corresponding oxidation and reduction peaks were described instead of two redox peaks (as observed by W. S. Huang, B. D. Humphrey, and A. G. MacDiarmid, J Chem Soc Faraday Trans 1 1986, 82, 2385). The electrochromic property was studied with changes in the chemical states of polyaniline during electrochemical oxidation and reduction. A new viscous electrolyte, aqueous AlCl3 (pH 2), saturated with AgCl was used for the construction of an electrochromic display device. (C) 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.