Electrochemical synthesis of tetraphenylborate-doped polypyrrole: Dependence of zinc ion sensing on the polymeric microstructure

The electrochemical synthesis of tetraphenylborate (TPB) ion-doped polypyrrole is reported. The polymerization of ion exchanger-doped polypyrrole was carried out in dry acetonitrile by both potentiodynamic and potentiostatic modes of electropolymerization. The polymers formed under these two conditions were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and cyclic voltammetry. The polymeric microstructure was found to be dependent on the mode of electropolymerization. The TPB-doped polymer-modified electrode was sensitive to zinc ion. The zinc ion sensing was found to be dependent on the polymeric microstructure. The response curves on Zn2+ ion sensing of polymer-modified electrode with variation in polymeric microstructure were investigated. The effort on selective sensing of Zn2+ ion was also made and the data on Ni2+, Co2+, Pb2+ and Mg2+ ions are reported using polymer-modified electrode. The contribution of TPB in designing these ions sensors was discussed.