Redox-active conducting polymers incorporating ferrocenes 2. Preparation and characterisation of polypyrroles containing propyl- and butyl-tethered[1.1]ferrocenophane

The binuclear species [1.1]ferrocenophane (1), which contains two ferrocenes (Fc) connected by methylene bridges between their respective cyclopentadienyl ligands, is well known as an electrocatalyst for the conversion of strong acids (HI) to hydrogen gas (HA It may, however, also prospectively serve as a probe of the electronic properties of substituents attached at one of the bridging carbons. In order to study these properties, the pyrrole monomers 3-(I-[I.I]ferrocenophane-4-butyl)pyrrole (2) and 1-(3-(1-[1.1]ferrocenophane)-1-N-propyl)pyrrole (3) have been prepared using multi-step procedures. Their electroactive conducting co-polymers with pyrrole, P(Py-co-2) and P(Py-co-3) respectively, have also been prepared by electrochemical deposition. This work details the synthesis and characterisation of these monomers and their polymers. The latter have been characterised using cyclic voltammetry (CV), elemental analysis, UV-Vis spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and four-point probe conductivity measurements. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.