Electrochemical characterization of a templated insulating polymer-modified electrode.

The controllable permselective behavior oftemplated poly(1,2-diaminobenzene)-modified electrodes is illustrated. The electrochemical behavior of polymer films prepared from several media, conventional aqueous solution, liquid crystalline micellar solution, and liquid crystalline hexagonal phase solution, were compared using several cationic and anionic redox probes. Films deposited from the hexagonal liquid crystalline phase were shown to be ion selective, allowing positively charged ions through to react at the electrode surface while excluding negatively charged ions. This permselective behavior was unique to the hexagonally templated films and was not exhibited by films deposited from either the conventional aqueous or the micellar media (which were completely blocking to both types of ion). In addition, it was shown that by altering the ionic strength of the background electrolyte control over the charge selective behavior of the hexagonally templated films was possible.