Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry, Vol.826, 198-206, 2018
Electropolymerization and characterization of carbazole substituted viologen conducting polymers: The effects of electrolytes and potential applications of the polymers
Two electropolymerizable carbazole-functionalized viologen compounds were synthesized and characterized using NMR, ESI-MS, voltammetry, and spectroelectrochemistry. The compounds were electropolymerized onto indium tin oxide electrode and glassy carbon electrode through a radical-induced polymerization triggered by electrochemical oxidation at the carbazole moieties in electrolytes composed of room temperature ionic liquid/ organic solvents or NaClO4/acetonitrile. It was found that the properties of the electropolymerized polymers were crucially controlled by the chemical structure of the monomer and the electrolyte compositions. The polymer films showed electrochromic behavior, and the color changed from greenish at the potential where carbazole groups were oxidized to violet or colorless at which reduction of viologen groups occurred; violet or colorless depended on which of the two reductive states of the viologen moieties was reached. The polymer films were capable of enhancing the oxidative current of uric acid and ascorbic acid, respectively, in neutral media, which might be due to the concentrating ability of the viologen moieties towards negatively charged species such as ferricyanide ((Fe(CN)(6)](3-)) and ferrocyanide ([Fe(CN)(6)](2-)).