Analysis of hysteresis phenomenon as observed from voltammetric data of conducting polymers: part I

The hysteresis phenomenon inherent to redox processes of Electronic Conducting Polymers (ECP) has been studied. Hysteresis was divided into two classes: i) dynamic hysteresis, containing a kinetic and an ohmic component and ii) stationary or thermodynamic hysteresis. A mathematical analysis was performed on the dynamic hysteresis observed in cyclic voltammograms of two polymers: polyaniline (PANI) and poly(3-methylthiophene) (P3MT). It has been shown that in the case of P3MT, the hysteresis is mainly kinetic due to the rate of one of the steps of the redox process. However, an ohmic component related to the existence of an electrical impedance in series with the electrochemical system is also present. As for PANI, hysteresis is current independent, which is characteristic of thermodynamic hysteresis.