More on the electropolymerization of styrene

The cathodic reduction of styrene in acetonitrile and tetra-n-butylammonium tetrafluoroborate is discussed. A well defined voltammetric wave was obtained at E p = −2.8 V and its study reveals irreversible electron transfer as the first step in the electrochemical reaction. The polystyrene forms on the platinum electrode surface (with a molecular weight of 10 6) and it was possible to find conditions (galvanostatic electrolysis in CHCl 3 n-Bu 4 NBF 4 ) where its production rate was increased more than 70 times compared with the first potentiostatic electrolyses.