Voltammetry of suspensions of hollow particles with ferrocene-immobilized polyallylamine shells

Redox-active hollow spheres were prepared through extracting a polystyrene core from the latex particle (PSPAAFc) composed of the core and the polyallylamine shell including ferrocenyl carboxylic amide. The suspension of the hollow spheres showed anodic and cathodic voltammetric peaks, which were nearly reversible and diffusion-controlled. The current was 3 times as large as the current for the suspension of the filled PSPAAFc. This value agreed with the theoretical one evaluated from the diameter (1.28 microm), the number of ferrocenyl moieties per particle, 1.2 x 108, by UV spectroscopy, and the diffusion coefficient obtained from the Stokes-Einstein equation. This fact indicates the reaction of the whole loaded charge, in contrast to the partial charge transfer of PSPAAFc. The dynamic flattening motion was observed to support the reaction of the whole charge.