Cyclic Voltammetric Studies of Electropolymerized Films Based on Ruthenium(II/III) Bis(1,10 phenanthroline) (4-methyl-4’vinyl-2,2’-bipyridine)

A ruthenium complex of bis(1,10-phenanthroline)(4-methyl-4’vinyl-2,2’-bipyridine) was used to modify glassy carbon electrodes during cyclic voltammetry. The modification procedure is rapid and produces a polymer film on the glassy carbon electrode. Characterization cyclic voltammograms of the ruthenium-based polymer films in supporting electrolyte solutions are very similar to the electropolymerization cyclic voltammograms. The polymer thin films derived from the ruthenium complex exhibit Nernstian electron transfer with respect to the applied potential at low scan rates. This is shown by the small peak separation between the cathodic and anodic peaks during characterization. At scan rates greater than 1.00 V/sec, the films model the Randles-Sevcik equation for diffusion-controlled mass transfer processes. Surface coverage ranges from 9.42 x 10-11 mol/cm2 to 4.76 x 10-10 mol/cm2 and was calculated by integrating the area under the anodic peak of the characterization cyclic voltammograms.