Electrochemical properties of mono-particle-layer films of polyaniline-coated latex microspheres

particles with the structure of a polystyrene core and a polyaniline shell were synthesized. They were nearly mono-dispersed spheres 1.62 mum in diameter. The aqueous suspension of the latex particles was spread on a glass substrate and dried in a mono-particle layer. The arrangement of the spread particles depended on the concentrations of the latex, those of the surfactant, and drying speed. The particles were also arranged on a platinum electrode in a mono-particle layer at a very slow drying speed although the particles were likely to gather at the boundary between the platinum and the insulating wall. The cyclic voltammograms of the mono-particle layer were similar to those of electrochemically polymerized films and of the film prepared by spreading and drying the polyaniline-dissolved pyrrolidone. The peak currents at high scan rates deviated downward from a linear relation with the scan rate. The mono-particle layer was inserted into tetrahydrofuran to remove the core-polystyrene. The resulting film covered the electrode Surface smoothly. Its voltammetric peak current was almost proportional to the scan rate, as was observed at electropolymerized films. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.