The electrochemical oxidation of 1,4-dihydroxybenzene and 4-hydroxybenzyl alcohol (4 HBA) in aqueous solutions of different pH values has been studied. The deposition of polymer films on gold electrodes from solutions of 4 HBA was demonstrated by the rapid decrease in current observed in cyclic voltammograms (CVs) subsequent to the first scan. In contrast, no polymer films were formed at the electrode surfaces from solutions of 1,4-dihydroxybenzene regardless of the pH. The eigenvalues for the highest occupied molecular orbitals (HOMO) for both molecules, at all pH values studied, has been calculated and correlated, where possible, with oxidation potentials. (C) 2015 The Electrochemical Society. All rights reserved.