A low-cost, thin, graphitized carbon electrode with electrodeposited platinum and polyaniline has been characterized for electrochemical oxidation of aliphatic alcohols in alkaline medium and for possible further incorporation of atomic metals and alloys. Our previously developed atomic metal polyaniline composites used solid platinum as the electrode material.
The replacement of this solid platinum with a small amount of electrochemically annealed Pt on a carbon support was optimized for alcohol oxidation. An HPLC procedure for analysis of oxidation products of 1-propanol has also been utilized for the characterization of the composite electrode.