Preparation, Structural Characterization, Electrochemistry, and Sensing Properties toward Anions and Cations of Ferrocene-Triazole Derivatives

Abstract

A number of monosubstituted (3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11, and 13) and disubstituted (15 and 16) ferrocene-derived triazoles have been prepared, by using the copper-catalyzed click reaction, and fully characterized. The versatility of the click reaction enables the decoration of the ferrocene-triazole core, with additional substituents displaying different optoelectrochemical properties. The most salient features derived from the sensing studies are that receptors 3, 6, 15, and 16 undergo unprecedented cathodic shifts of the oxidation peak of the ferrocene/ferrocenium redox couple in the presence of F–, AcO–, H2PO4–, and HP2O73– anions, whereas receptors 11 and 16 behave as dual redox and optically selective molecular sensors for Hg2+ cations. The isolated [63·Ni2+] complex has been characterized by X-ray analysis.