Abstract
Potentiodynamic electrochemical measurements of the redox-driven entry and exit of ionized glycylglycylglycine peptide (GGG-) during polymer oxidation and reduction, respectively, are presented and interpreted for electroactive poly(vinylferrocene) (PVF)-modified electrodes. Frequently, electrochemically controlled redox cycling results in the dramatic alteration in polymer film properties, typically accompanied by loss of redox activity, exemplified in this case by negligible currents associated with repeated exposure to GGG. Notably, we have discovered that preconditioning of PVF films with suitable ionic liquids (ILs) such as the N-alkyl-N-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imides allows the electroactive film to relax to a state compatible with reversible GGG- doping/undoping. Our studies substantiate that both the cation and the anion of the IL must be considered as both play important roles in appropriately conditioning the PVF polymer films. Indeed, ILs with structures and properties highly divergent from the target GGG- failed to properly condition PVF to a compatible state.