Influencing the electronic interaction in diferrocenyl-1-phenyl-1H-pyrroles

Functionalised diferrocenyl-1-phenyl-1H-pyrroles were synthesised using Negishi C,C cross-coupling reactions. The influence of different substituents at the phenyl moiety on the electronic interaction was studied using electrochemistry (cyclic and square-wave voltammetry) and spectro-electrochemistry (in situ UV/Vis-NIR spectroscopy). The ferrocenyl moieties gave rise to two sequential, reversible redox processes in each of the diferrocenyl-1-phenyl-1H-pyrroles. The observed ΔE(1/2) values (ΔE(1/2) = difference between first and second oxidation) range between 420 and 480 mV. A linear relationship between the Hammett constants σ of the substituents and the separation of the redox potentials exists. The NIR measurements confirm electronic communication between the iron centers as intervalence charge transfer (IVCT) absorptions were observed in the corresponding mixed-valent monocationic species. All compounds were classified as class II systems according to Robin and Day (M. B. Robin and P. Day, Adv. Inorg. Chem., 1967, 10, 247-423). The oscillator strength of the charge transfer transition highly depends on the electron donating or electron withdrawing character of the phenyl substituents. This enables direct tuning of the intermetallic communication by simple modification of the molecule's functional group. Hence, this series of molecules may be regarded as model compounds for single molecule transistors.