Electrochemical and Morphological Characterization of Poly(aniline-co-o-toluidine) with Ni, Mo and W-based Alloys on ITO

Poly(aniline-co-o-toluidine) (PANI-POT) copolymer represents a significant advancement in the field of conjugated copolymers, providing enhanced electrochemical performance in neutral media. However, the incorporation of inorganic species into copolymer matrices has the potential to further increase electroactivity. For this reason, the electrochemical synthesis of PANI-POT copolymers was conducted in the presence of Ni, Mo and W elements on indium tin oxide (ITO) substrate. Examination of the resulting composite films revealed new electrochemical and morphological characteristics, such as reversible behavior, a shift in the oxidation peak and smoother, more rigid surfaces. Despite these improvements, the electroactivity of the composite films was reduced compared to the pure copolymer, as indicated by the anodic charge densities of 1.84 mC cm −2 for PANI-POT, 0.2 mC s −1 for PANI-POT/NiMoW, 0.23 mC cm −2 for PANI-POT/NiW, 0.30 mC cm −2 for PANI-POT/NiMo and 0.96 mC cm −2 for PANI-POT/MoO 2 . This study explored the factors responsible for reduction in electrochemical performance of the copolymer upon the incorporation of Ni, Mo and W, despite the favorable electrochemical properties of these elements, and discussed the potential applications of the new electrochemical and physical characteristics, such as protective coating.