Performance Improvement of Gold Electrode towards Methanol Electrooxidation in Akaline Medium: Enhanced Current Density Achieved with Poly(aniline-co-2-hydroxyaniline) Coating at Low Overpotential

Electronically conducting poly (aniline-co-2-hydroxyaniline) (PACHA), a copolymer of aniline and 2-hydroxyaniline (2HA), was electrochemically coated on gold substrate for methanol electrooxidation in alkaline media. The electrochemical behavior of PACHA coated gold electrode towards methanol electrooxidation was investigated via cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) for application in an alkaline fuel cell. Methanol electrooxidation was observed at two different electrode potentials depending on the concentration of the base. At the PACHA coated gold electrode, the methanol oxidation peak was observed at lower overpotential (at 0.19 V) in a solution of high base concentration (1.8 M NaOH), which was 30 mV lower than the peak for the uncoated gold electrode. In addition, the Faradic current Imax obtained on the PACHA coated electrode (20 mA) was two times higher as compared to the Faradic current Imax of the un-modified gold electrode (10 mA). In solution of lower base concentration (0.06 M NaOH), the electrooxidation of methanol became sluggish on both electrodes, as indicated by peak shifting towards positive potential and with reduced faradaic current (at 0.74 V on PACHA coated electrode; Imax 10 mA). The electrooxidation of methanol at both lower and higher electrode potentials was analyzed mechanistically and discussed in light of the literature. EIS results were interpreted using Nyquist and Bode plots. The charge transfer resistance was decreased and pseudo-capacitive behavior changed to conductive behavior when external applied potential was increased from 0.1 V to 0.4 V.

An Ultra-Sensitive Molecularly Imprinted Poly(Aniline) Based Electrochemical Sensor for the Determination of Bisphenol A in Synthetic Human Serum Specimen and Plastic Bottled Water Samples

We explain the development of an ultra-sensitive molecularly imprinted polymer-based electrochemical sensor for rapid and selective determination of bisphenol A (BPA) in human serum and water samples. Electropolymerization of functional monomer aniline was performed in the presence of BPA by cyclic voltammetry (CV) to prepare a molecularly imprinted poly(aniline) based GCE sensor (MIP(ANI)/GCE). The developed MIP surface was characterized using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy, contact angle measurements, CV, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The MIP(ANI)/GCE sensor showed a highly sensitive performance with a linear range of 1.0 and 8.0×10−15 M. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) values were 0.193 and 0.643 fM, respectively. The applicability of the MIP(ANI)/GCE was assessed by applying it to human serum and plastic bottled water samples. The LOD and LOQ values were calculated as 0.257 and 0.856 fM for the serum sample. Imprinting factor and interference studies were also carried out using similarly structured compounds and the most common interfering agents showing the selectivity of the MIP(ANI)/GCE sensor. Finally, the non-imprinted polymer (NIP)-based sensor was prepared to control the MIP(ANI)/GCE performance.