Potentiometric Response of Conducting Polymer Electrodes for Oxygen in Neutral Aqueous Solutions

Abstract
The effect of oxygen on the potential of electrodes coated with a thin layer of various conducting polymers and immersed in aqueous neutral buffer solution has been studied. A theoretical equation describing the dependence of the potential on the concentration of oxygen has been derived and shown to be in conformity with the experimental results for polyaniline, polypyrrole, and poly(3-methylthiophene). The theory is based on the formation of charge-transfer complexes between oxygen molecule and the reduced (undoped) form of conducting polymer.