Triarylborane-Supported Polyferrocenyl Systems: Impact of the Linking Unit on Electronic and Electrochemical Properties

A family of ferrocenylborane compounds has been synthesized with the aim to examine the impact of the linker units on the mutual influence of the borane and ferrocene units on electronic and electrochemical properties. Fluoride titrations were performed on all compounds. The monoferrocenyl compounds 1–3 and the diferrocenyl compound 4 showed expected fluoride binding, while compounds 5 and 6 do not or only weakly respond to the addition of fluoride ions, as indicated by UV–vis and NMR spectroscopic data. Cyclic voltammetry studies showed that there is no electronic communication between the ferrocenyl units in compounds that contain two or three ferrocenyl units. The linker units were found to have a distinct impact on the electronic and electrochemical properties of the borane-linked/containing ferrocene molecules.