oa Polymers of Platinum Metals Complexes Immobilised on Electrodes

Interest is growing in using polymeric electrode materials containing platinum group metals complexes in molecular electrochemistry. Here, the synthesis of functionalised polypyrrole film electrodes, formed by the oxidative electropolymerisation of pyrrole-substituted rhodium, iridium and palladium complexes is reviewed, and recent results are presented concerning the electrocatalytic reduction of protons and the hydrogenation of unsaturated organic substrates in aqueous electrolyte. Metal hydride intermediates and their involvement in reactions at the electrodes are considered, as are preliminary results of asymmetric electrosynthesis on a molecular electrode material.