Study on the electrochemical, thermal, and liquid crystalline properties of poly(diethyleneglycol 1,1′-ferrocene dicarboxylate)

Figures & data

Scheme 1. Synthesis of PDEFD.

Figure 1 ¹H NMR spectrum of PDEFD.

Figure 2 GPC curve (a) and UV–vis spectrum of PDEFD.

Figure 3 FTIR spectrum (a) and powder XRD pattern (b) of PDEFD.

Figure 4 CV curves of PDEFD at [Fe] = 0.5 mM (a) in different solvents; supporting electrolyte: 0.1 M Bu₄NBF₄, scan rate: 0.1 V/s, (b) at different scan rates in DMSO; supporting electrolyte: 0.1 M Bu₄NBF₄, and (c) at different concentrations of the electrolyte in DMSO, scan rate: 0.1 V/s.

Table 1. Electrochemical data of PDEFD at different scan rates.

Scan rate (V/s)	E pc (V)	E pa (V)	^a (V)	ΔE p (V)	i pc (μA)	i pa (μA)	i pa/i pc
0.1	0.306	0.461	0.3835	0.155	1.545	1.237	0.8
0.2	0.298	0.461	0.3795	0.163	2.444	1.951	0.798
0.3	0.307	0.465	0.386	0.158	3.227	2.575	0.798
0.4	0.301	0.468	0.3845	0.167	3.96	2.961	0.748
0.5	0.306	0.468	0.387	0.162	4.651	3.39	0.729
^a = (E pc + E pa)/2.^bΔE p = E pa – E pc.

Table 2. Electrochemical data of PDEFD at different concentrations of the electrolyte.

Concentration of electrolyte (mol/L)	E pc (V)	E pa (V)	^a (V)	ΔE p (V)	i pc (μA)	i pa (μA)	i pa/i pc
0.01	0.317	0.444	0.381	0.127	0.793	0.346	0.436
0.025	0.433	0.569	0.501	0.136	0.975	0.634	0.65
0.05	0.358	0.446	0.402	0.088	1.091	0.763	0.699
0.075	0.33	0.443	0.387	0.113	1.269	0.815	0.642
0.1	0.306	0.461	0.384	0.155	1.545	1.237	0.8
^a = (E pc + E pa)/2.^bΔE p = E pa – E pc.

Table 3. Relationships among the peak currents, the peak potentials, and the scan rates for PDEFD at different concentrations of the electrolyte.

Electrolyte concentration (mol/L)	Linear equation	Correlation coefficient
0.01	i pc (μA) = −0.756 + 4.754 ^1/2	0.995
	i pa (μA) = 0.006 + 1.004 ^1/2	0.973
	ln i pc (μA) = −3.366 – 49.693 (E pc – E p ^1/2 a)	0.996
	ln i pa (μA) = −3.069 + 31.162 (E pa – E p ^1/2)	0.983
0.025	i pc (μA) = −0.563 + 4.773 ^1/2	0.997
	i pa (μA) = 0.049 + 1.787 ^1/2	0.972
	ln i pc (μA) = −3.489 – 53.601 (E pc – E p ^1/2)	0.856
	ln i pa (μA) = −2.96 + 38.217 (E pa – E p ^1/2)	0.919
0.05	i pc (μA) = −1.146 + 6.803 ^1/2	0.993
	i pa (μA) = -0.245 + 3.015 ^1/2	0.985
	ln i pc (μA) = -7.288 – 172.371 (E pc – E p ^1/2)	0.807
	ln i pa (μA) = −6.044 + 133.918 (E pa – E p ^1/2)	0.85
0.075	i pc (μA) = −1.157 + 7.47 ^1/2	0.996
	i pa (μA) = −0.069 + 2.76 ^1/2	0.999
	ln i pc (μA) = −3.75 – 72.974 (E pc – E p ^1/2)	0.877
	ln i pa (μA) = −3.117 + 52.995 (E pa – E p ^1/2)	0.938
0.1	i pc (μA) = −1.042 + 7.936 ^1/2	0.995
	i pa (μA) = −0.497 + 5.507 ^1/2	0.998
^a  = (E pc + E pa) / 2.

Figure 5 TGA and DTA curves of PDEFD.

Table 4. Thermal properties of PDEFD.

	T in (°C)	T 5 (°C)	T 10 (°C)	T s ( °C)	T f ( °C)	Char yield at 800 °C (%)
Temperature	267	250.22	294.6	504	800	25.97

Figure 6 POM micrographs of the texture displayed by PDEFD (a) at 152 °C and (b) 9.2 °C (magnification × 100).