Anion-binding-induced electrochemical signal transduction in ferrocenylimidazolium: combined electrochemical experimental and theoretical investigation

Weng, Tan-Qing; Huang, Yi-Fan; Xue, Lou-Sha; Cheng, Jie; Jin, Shan; Liu, Sheng-Hua; Wu, De-Yin; Chen, George Z.

Abstract

Five ferrocene alkymethylimidazolium cations 1a–1d and 2 with different alkyl spacer lengths were reinvestigated using voltammetry and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The voltammetric responses of ligand 2 toward various anions are described in detail. An interesting and unprecedented finding from both experimental and theoretical studies is that coupled electron and intramolecular anion (F−) transfer may be present in these molecules. In addition, it was also observed that, in these studied molecules, the electrostatic attraction interaction toward F− would effectively vanish beyond 1 nm, which was previously reported only for cations.

Citation

Weng, T., Huang, Y., Xue, L., Cheng, J., Jin, S., Liu, S., …Chen, G. Z. (2019). Anion-binding-induced electrochemical signal transduction in ferrocenylimidazolium: combined electrochemical experimental and theoretical investigation. Molecules, 24(2), Article 238. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24020238

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jan 9, 2019
• Online Publication Date: Jan 10, 2019
• Publication Date: Jan 10, 2019
• Deposit Date: Jan 16, 2019
• Publicly Available Date: Jan 16, 2019
• Journal: Molecules
• Electronic ISSN: 1420-3049
• Publisher: MDPI
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 24
• Issue: 2
• Article Number: 238
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24020238
• Keywords: Organic Chemistry
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1476912
• Publisher URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/24/2/238