Self-assembly of thioether functionalized fullerenes on gold and their activity in electropolymerization of styrene. Issue 105 (13th October 2015) - Piotrowski, P.
Abstract : Fulleropyrrolidine alkylaromatic sulphides were found to form uniform coating on the gold surface through the thioether sulphur anchoring group and can initiate the anionic polymerization of styrene under electrochemical conditions. Abstract : A series of new fulleropyrrolidine alkylaromatic sulphides with different substituents on the sulphur atom were synthesized. The redox properties of the C60 derivatives in solution and self-assembled on gold electrode surfaces were characterized by cyclic and differential pulse voltammetry. All fullerene derivatives were found to be bound to the gold surface by the thioether sulphur anchoring group and not through fullerene sphere – Au surface interactions. The unique electrochemical properties of the synthesized fullerene derivatives allowed to show for the first time initiating activity of fullerene molecules in the anionic polymerization of styrene under electrochemical conditions.