Study on the electrochemical, thermal, and liquid crystalline properties of poly(diethyleneglycol 1,1′-ferrocene dicarboxylate)

Poly(diethyleneglycol 1,1'-ferrocene dicarboxylate) (PDEFD) was synthesized by solution polycondensation reaction of diethylene glycol with 1,1'-ferrocenyl chloride. The synthesized polymer was characterized via the measurement of its H-1 NMR spectrum, UV-vis spectrum, and FTIR spectrum. X-ray diffraction pattern was measured to investigate the crystallinity of the synthesized polymer and it was found that the polymer was mostly amorphous. The molecular weight of the polymer was determined by gel permeation chromatography. In addition, the electrochemical properties of the synthesized polymer were examined and the influence of many parameters, including the solvent, the scan rate, and the electrolyte concentration was studied. The electrode processes were found to be controlled by both electrode reaction and the mass diffusion. In addition, the electrochemical processes of PDEFD in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) were confirmed neither to be totally reversible nor completely irreversible. Moreover, the thermogravimetric analysis and differential thermal analysis were employed to examine the thermal properties of the polymer. Finally, the liquid crystalline properties of the synthesized polymer were investigated via the polarizing optical microscope technique.