| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1394692 | European Polymer Journal | 2015 | 8 Pages |
•Thin film organometallic polymer hydrogels of poly(ferrocenylsilanes) are described.•Pre-crosslinked gels with controlled thickness are covalently coupled to substrates.•Metal nanoparticles prepared in-situ from metal salts in the hydrogels are reported.•Pd metal nanoparticles obtained in-situ are used in electrocatalysis.
Redox responsive hydrogel thin films consisting of poly(ferrocenyl(3-bromopropyl)methylsilane) were fabricated by crosslinking the polymer with N,N,N′,N″,N″-pentamethyldiethylenetriamine (PMDETA). Owing to the presence of ferrocene in the redox-active PFS chains, the thin hydrogel films could be oxidized and reduced chemically and electrochemically. The thin films could be used as a reducing environment for the in-situ formation of Pd nanoparticles, yielding PFS hydrogel-nanoparticle composites, which were employed directly in the electrocatalytic oxidation of ethanol. Pronounced catalytic activity of the Pd-loaded hydrogel films was observed.
Graphical abstractFabrication of redox responsive hydrogel thin films based on poly(ferrocenylsilanes). The thin films could be used as a reducing environment for the in-situ formation of Pd nanoparticles, yielding PFS hydrogel-nanoparticle composites, which were employed directly in the electrocatalytic oxidation of ethanol.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide
