Photoelectrochemical measurements of polyaniline growth in a layered material

Photoelectrochemistry is based on interfacial electron transfer, where one of the phases is the excited state of a semiconductor. In this work we investigated the photoelectrochemical response of polyaniline intercalated in a layered material. The photoelectrochemical response show cathodic or anodic photocurrents depending on the applied potential, hence on the oxidation state of the polyaniline. Above 0.40 V in the oxidation and reduction processes, polyaniline shows n-type semiconductor characteristics and below 0.40 V in the reduction process, its behavior is of a p-type semiconductor. The composite SnP-C/Fe/PAni was obtained as a powder by polymerization of aniline in the interlayer space of the host Tin (IV) 2-carboxyethylphosfonate (SnP-C). The polymerization was done in an acid solution after incorporation of Fe3+ to the host.;ii-ray diffraction and conductivity measurements indicated the formation of polyaniline in the interlayer space and cyclic voltammetry measurements showed that the product is electroactive. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.