Electrochemical study of o-toluidine blue impregnated in mesoporous silica channels

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

This paper reports an electrochemical study of ordered mesoporous silica impregnated with a cationic dye (o-toluidine blue), prepared with a non-ionic surfactant as the structure-directing agent. O-toluidine blue was chosen because of its utility as an electron transfer mediator (redox catalyst). O-toluidine blue impregnated mesoporous silica was characterized by nitrogen sorption porosimetry, small angle X-ray scattering, infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and cyclic voltammetry using chemically modified carbon paste electrodes. Results indicate that the dye is located within the ordered mesopores of micron-sized silica spheres.