VOLTAMMETRIC STUDIES OF SOME OXO-URANIUM (VI) COMPLEXES OF DITHIO LIGANDS AT THIN-FILM SEMICONDUCTING ZNO ACETONITRILE INTERFACE FOR PHOTOSENSITIZER APPLICATIONS

With a view to explore the suitability of these compounds for their possible use as photosensitizers, the electrochemical behavior of tetramethylammonium uranyl tris-diethyldithiocarbamate, Me4N[UO2(dtc)3], and tetraethylammonium uranyl bis-isomaleonitriledithiolate, (Et4N)2[UO2(i-MNT)2], has been studied at thin film semiconducting ZnO and platinum (for comparison) electrodes in acetonitrile medium containing 0.1M NaClO4 (anhydrous) as supporting electrolyte. Studies have been made through cyclic voltammetric technique. Both complexes exhibit a cathodic peak and associated anodic peak, though their formal redox potentials (E°) were found to be different. Analysis of the parameters derived from voltammograms indicates that the reduction and reoxidation of these complexes, most probably metal, are diffusion-controlled, quasireversible processes coupled with chemical reactions. © 1990, The Electrochemical Society, Inc. All rights reserved.