Synthesis, Spectroscopic, and Electrochemical Characterization of N‐(1‐Ferrocenyl‐2‐(methylthio)ethyl)anilines as Potential Glassy Carbon Electrode Modifiers

ABSTRACT

Ferrocene derivatives are promising electrode materials. We have presented here a straightforward synthetic route to N‐(1‐ferrocenyl‐2‐(methylthio)ethyl)anilines. Five new ferrocene‐containing secondary amines were prepared using a rarely employed strategy and characterized by spectroscopic and electrochemical techniques. The prepared N‐(1‐ferrocenyl‐2‐(methylthio)ethyl)anilines showed the ability to bind to the glassy carbon surface. The possible use of the synthesized derivatives as modifiers for glassy carbon electrodes was investigated using the representative compound N‐(1‐ferrocenyl‐2‐(methylthio)ethyl)aniline (6a). In only two voltammetric cycles in the range from −0.3 to 1.8 V at a scan rate of 10 mV/s, the layer of the ferrocene derivative was grafted onto the electrode surface. The modified electrode and its response to commonly used redox species were tested by cyclic voltammetry, while the capacitive properties were determined using the galvanostatic charge–discharge technique.