The effect of the local pH in the slow relaxation of polyaniline

It is suggested that the slow relaxation phenomenon in the case of polyaniline is due to a change of structure of the double layer under polarization. The pH at the interface and along the Debye length, i.e. in the double layer, is more acidic than in the solution when the electrode is polarized below the potential of zero charge (PZC) and is more basic when the polarization is above the PZC. This is proposed as the main reason for the peak shift characteristic of the so-called relaxation effect in addition to structural changes.