Functionalized polypyrroles. New molecular materials for electrocatalysis and related applications

TLDR: In this paper, the pyrrole group is used for electrocatalytic polymerization of polypyrrolic polymers, which can be applied to a wide range of applications, including bio-and electroanalysis, microelectronics, and electroreleasing devices.

Abstract: The concept of altering the chemical structure of an electrode surface with a view to controlling the course of an electrochemical reaction was pioneered some 15 years ago by Lane and Hubbard. This promising new areas of electrochemistry rapidly attracted interest, the major objective being to tailor spectifically the electrode material in such a way as to promote the desired electrochemical reaction. The possibility of making electrodes with specific chemical, electrochemical, or optical surface properties gave rise to numerous possible applications of these modified electrodes in the fields of electro- and photocatalysis, electrosynthesis, electroanalysis, molecular devices, and electrochromism. Among the numerous chemical functions that could undergo electrochemical polymerization, the pyrrole group is exceptionally convenient for carrying out the coating of electrode surfaces by nonpassifying polymer films containing catalytic and/or redox active centers. Furthermore, polypyrrolic films are characterized by a long-term chemical stability, which allows their productive use in various applications. An account of this topic, mainly devoted to electrocatalytic applications, will be given here. A few typical extra examples, including bio- and electroanalysis, microelectronics, and electroreleasing devices, are also presented to emphasize the versatility of this type of polymeric coating.