Electropolymerization was performed from electrolyte of 0.5 M
sodium benzoate (p.a. Merck) and 0.25 M aniline (p.a. Aldrich)
previously distilled under reduced pressure. After addition of the
aniline the electrolyte was ultrasonically treated for 1 h and stored
over night in the dark. The pH of the used electrolyte was
∼7.
NaCl (p.a. Merck) and 30% H2O2 (Centrohem, Serbia) was used as
received. The mild steel (MS, AISI 1212) electrodes (A = 8 cm2) were
mechanically polished with fine emery papers degreased in acetone
and pickled in hydrochloric acid Electrochemical experiments were carried out using Gammry PC3 potentiostat, in three compartment
glass cell (200 cm3) with saturated calomel as the reference
and Ti plate as a counter electrode. Graphite (A = 0.64 cm2) and Pt
(A = 2 cm2) electrode were used as well. The UV–vis spectra were
recorded on a Schimadzu 1700 spectrophotometer in the region
220–1100 nm in methanol, m(AO) = 18 g ml−1. To investigate the
redox behavior of as synthesized AO in 1 M HCl with cyclic voltammetry,
∼1 mg cm−2 of AO synthesized on MS electrode was cast
from methanol on graphite electrode, as well on a glass slide for
microscopic analysis. Micrographs were obtained with an optical
microscope Olympus CX41.