Investigation on the electrochemical polymerization of catechol by means of rotating ring-disk electrode

The electrolysis of catechol was studied in the pH values of 1 to 10. The results from the rotating ring-disk electrode (RRDE) experiments show that at low pH values, the electrochemical polymerization of catechol was performed by one step, and at higher pH values, the electrochemical polymerization of catechol was carried out by two steps, i.e. oxidation of catechol and followed by polymerization. The intermediates generated at the disk were detected at the ring electrode in the ring potential region of -0.2 to 0 V (vs. Ag/AgCl). One of reasons for the decrease in the ratio of i(r) to i(d) with increasing the ring potential is caused by formation of positively charged intermediates at the disk electrode. This ratio increases with increasing the rotation rate of the RRDE, which indicates that the intermediates are not stable. A shielding effect during polymerization of catechol was observed when the ring potential was set at 0.1 V (vs. Ag/ AgCl). The electron spin resonance (ESR) of polycatechol shows that polycatechol possesses unpaired electrons. The images of polyeatechol films synthesized at different conditions are described.