Electrochemical polymerization of biphenyl in acetonitrile

Summary form only given. Details of the electropolymerization process of biphenyl on platinum electrode were studied. It is shown that the presence of water in the solution has a strong effect on the formation of polyphenylene. The influence of biphenyl concentration, solvent, rotating speed of the electrode and the upper limit of the electrode potential on the growth rate and the redox behavior of the polymer was also studied. The relationship between the redox charge of the deposited polymer (Q) and the potential cycling parameters has the simple form Q = a(n/v)exp(bE/sub s/) (a and b are constants; n is the potential cycle number, v is the potential scan rate and Es is the upper limit of applied potential).