In-situ spectroelectrochemical evidences for the copolymerization of o-toluidine with diphenylamine-4-sulphonic acid by UV-visible spectroscopy.

In-situ spectroelectrochemical studies on the copolymerization of o-toluidine (OT) with diphenylamine-4-sulfonic acid (DPASA) were carried out on ITO electrode in 0.5 M H2SO4 for different feed ratios of OT and DPASA. The early stages of copolymerization of OT with DPASA have been identified through spectroelectrochemical techniques. The results revealed the formation of a head-to-tail dimer type of intermediate at the initial stages of copolymerization. This N-phenyl-paraphenylene diamine (PPD) type of intermediate was assigned to have a peak at 550 nm in UV-visible spectra and confirmed via derivative cyclic voltabsorptogram (DCVA). Constant potential electropolymerization results also supported the formation of intermediate with an absorption maximum at 550 nm.