Self-dispersed polyaniline derivative extending electrochemical activity to neutral media

Self-dispersed poly-N-[5-(8-quinolinol)ylmethyl]aniline, which can be easily dispersed in some organic solvents without any dispersant, has been prepared by oxidative polymerization of 5-(anilinomethyl)-8-hydroxyquinoline. Although its conductivity only reaches 1.45 × 10−3 S cm−1, it possesses good redox reversibility in aqueous electrolyte ranging from pH 1.0 to 7.0, and its cyclic voltammetry curves also show good cycling stability in the aqueous medium of pH 5.0. It will be a promising material for several applications such as biosensors due to increasing the operating pH window in aqueous media.