Factors Affecting the Electroanalytical Behavior of Polypyrrole-Modified Electrodes Bearing Complexing Ligands

Conducting polymer-modified electrodes based on the incorporation of different anionic complexing ligands, namely, alizarin red S, bathocuproine sulfonate, and sulfosalicylic acid, into polypyrrole film during electropolymerization were prepared. Electroanalysis of copper species, both Cu²⁺ and Cu⁺ ions, was achieved by extraction of the metal species into the ligand-incorporated polypyrrole electrode, and the electroactive copper complexes thus formed were determined voltammetrically. The effects of polymer matrix, complexing stability, structure, and stoichiometry of the copper complexes on the electrode response were examined. Results suggested that complexation stability was not the only factor governing the electroanalytical behavior.