Electroactive, phenyl group

The only other alkyne the anodic oxidation of which has been studied in detail is diphenylacetylene. Again it is difficult to be certain about the mechanism involved the phenyl group and the triple bond may be electroactive but, because of the conjugation between them, it is probably more rigorous to consider electron transfer from the molecule as a whole. The relevant oxidation potential is apparently 2 V (vs. S.C.E.), the potential employed for anodic cyanation. ... 

Recognizing that the conducting polypyrrole films can be chemically modified (.1,2), the phenyl substituent assumes a particularly important role because it provides a means of introducing a wide selection of functional groups into the polymer. With this objective in mind, we have prepared a series of N-arylpyrrole polymers and find the thin poly-N-(p-nitrophenyl)pyrrole films of particular interest because they combine the electroactive properties of nitrobenzene and polypyrrole. With this combination, the polymer can be switched electrochemically between the cationic, neutral, and anionic form. 

As an example, the PT matrix (spacer -(CH2)20CH2-and Ar phenyl) generated by electrodeposition on platinum or on a glassy carbon plate (area = 5 cm ) at constant potential (-1-1.40 V versus 0.1 M Ag+/Ag reference electrode in acetonitrile, anodic charge = 2 C) was found to afford an interfacial functionalization of 2 pmol cm . Moreover, a direct functional group accessibUity can be electrochemically measured with further complete polymer (PT) recycling by using electroactive probes [98]. 

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