Electroactive poly(amino acids). Part 4. Poly(γ-ethyl L-glutamate) modified by side chain reaction with ferrocenylmethylamine

Abstract

Poly(γ-ethyl L-glutamate) was treated with ferrocenylmethylamine to replace 0.21 side chain esters by ferrocenylmethylamide. The modified polymer could be coated onto platinum as a film which showed the redox behaviour of the ferrocene units. Reversible redox behaviour was found in acetonitrile and in water. In water the apparent diffusion coefficient of charge through the film depends markedly on the supporting electrolyte and increases in the sequence LiClO₄, NaClO₄, KClO₄ which is the sequence of increasing limiting molar conductance for these salts. This suggests that the rate determining step for charge diffusion is electrolyte migration within the film.