Elaboration of modified electrodes through a direct anodic oxidation of chitin

By means of cyclic voltammetry study at platinum, gold and graphite electrodes, it is shown that the addition of chitin to a mixed solvent system acetonitrile/dimethylacetamide with the presence of LiCl, leads to the appearance of a quasi-reversible oxidation step and a subsequent generation of coated surfaces, indicating a direct electron ejection from this biopolymer. The electrochemical patterns of this redox system on platinum and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic characterization of the electrodeposits, on Pt and Au, reveal a coupled chemical conversion of chitin, consecutively to the electrons transfer. By contrast, an adsorption phenomenon is expected on graphite disk. Besides, the electrogenerated films are oxidized with a biggest difficulty than chitin. The macroscale electrolysis of chitin at platinum grid leads to new insoluble oxidation products, which precipitate in the electrochemical cell and on the working electrode.