Electrochemical determination of diffusion coefficient of π-conjugated polymers containing ferrocene unit

The diffusion coefficient (D) of π-conjugated polymers containing ferrocene unit in the polymer main chain in a 1:1 mixture of CH2Cl2 and CH3CN was determined from peak oxidation current observed in cyclic voltammetry of the polymers. The D value of the polymers was in a range of about 1×10−12–5×10−12 m2 s−1, which was considerably smaller than those of ferrocene (D=470×10−12 m2 s−1) and 1,1′-bis(phenylethynyl)ferrocene (2) (D=68×10−12 m2 s−1) in accordance with the higher molecular weight of the polymer. Effects of the structure of the π-conjugated polymers on the D value are discussed.