Self-doped polyaniline films prepared by electropolymerization in the presence of sulfonated nickel phthalocyanine

It is shown that the addition of tetrasulfonated nickel phthalocyanine (NiTSPc) to an acidic solution of aniline results in an accelerated deposition of polyaniline (PANI) from such a solution using the electrochemical potential cycling method. The electrodeposited polyaniline includes NiTSPc to form a composite film that retains its electroactivity in a wide pH range due to the self-doping effect. The thus formed composite PANI-NiTSPc film exhibits catalytic activity toward the electrooxidation of ascorbic acid in a nearly neutral buffer (pH 7.4).