Deactivation of Gold Electrode at Chlorophenols Electrooxidation

Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was used as the main technique coupled with cycling voltammetry (CV) to characterize the surface fouling of a conventional gold electrode in chlorophenol aqueous solutions caused by the electropolymerization of chlorinated phenol on the electrode surface. Different chlorophenols show differences in the voltammetric responses and deactivation due to fouling process, depending on number of the chloro substituents on the aromatic ring. Results showed that the fouling extent at gold electrode present the following order 2 CP > 2,4,5 TCP > 2,4 DCP In order to characterize the interface between Au electrode and solution before and after polymerization, the Mott Sckhotky technique was used. According to the Mott Schottky equation, positive slope of C-2 vs. potential plots suggest an n-type semiconductor behaviour for polymeric films.