Electrochemical investigation of covalently post-synthetic modified SURGEL coatings

Thiol-yne click chemistry is used to covalently link a ferrocenyl derivative to the pore walls of a fully organic porous polymer coating (SURGEL). By cyclic voltammetry, it is demonstrated that the ferrocene bound to the SURGEL via a flexible alkyl linker can be reversibly reduced and oxidised. Surprisingly, when adding ferrocene as an electrolyte, a Nernstian diffusion limited process is observed. We explain this observation in terms of a high permeability of the SURGELs for ferrocene after the post synthetic modification.