Dimethylsubstituted pyrroles: A new approach to protective polymers

The development of sacrificial or protective films based on dimethylpyrrole analogues is described. The design considerations required for successful electropolymerisation of the monomer and the subsequent, selective dissolution of the film is described. A general synthetic strategy is presented for the formation of a diverse range of bifunctional monomers which, when polymerised, can be subsequently removed after exposure to hydroxylamine under neutral aqueous conditions at room temperature. Film formation and removal has been studied using cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM) studies.