Template carbon dispersed in polyaniline matrix electrodes: evaluation and application as electrochemical sensors to low concentrations of Cu and Pb

A new electrode, obtained by the dispersion of template carbon nanoparticles onto polyaniline, is presented in this paper. Template carbon was synthesized via the pyrolysis of the polyfurfuryl alcohol inside the nanometric pores of porous Vycor glass, and the electrodes were prepared by a polyaniline-template carbon mixture. Scanning electron microscopy showed that polyaniline-template carbon films presented a wholly modified morphology when compared to polyaniline and polyaniline-graphite films. Electrochemical characterization indicated that the interconversion reactions of polyaniline were strongly facilitated in the presence of the template carbon. The new electrode also exhibited excellent chemical and physical stabilities. Finally, anodic stripping voltammetry measurements revealed that the new electrode presented a noteworthy linear response to very low concentrations of Cu²⁺ and Pb²⁺ ions, under few minutes of pre-concentration.