Electro-assisted fabrication of layer-by-layer assembled poly(2,5-dimethoxyaniline)/phosphotungstic acid modified electrode and electrocatalytic oxidation of ascorbic acid

Multilayer films, consisting of poly(2,5-dimethoxyaniline) (PDMA) and phosphotungstic acid (PTA) as alternative layers are assembled on a glassy carbon (GC) electrode to obtain (PDMA/PTA)n layer-by-layer (LBL) film, (where n = number of layers of PDMA/PTA) through electrochemical polymerization and chemical treatment with PTA. The film assembly, electrochemical property as well as the electroactivity of GC/(PDMA/PTA)n toward oxidation of ascorbic acid (AA) were investigated. The enhanced electrocatalytic activity of LBL (PDMA/PTA)n film towards AA was attributed to the existence of tungsten atoms in the interlayer of PDMA that augments the electron transfer processes.