Chiral acid selectivity displayed by PEDOT electropolymerised in the presence of chiral molecules

Analyst. 2012 May 21;137(10):2386-93. doi: 10.1039/c2an15854j. Epub 2012 Mar 29.

Abstract

Chiral conducting polymers prepared by electropolymerising PEDOT in the presence of chiral anions such as hyaluronic acid and anionic collagen or in a chiral nematic phase (hydroxypropyl cellulose, HPC) show excellent chiral acid recognition. This paper demonstrates the enantioselective recognition and transfer of protonated mandelic acid and protons using chiral PEDOTs. Discrimination between (R)-(-)- and (S)-(+)-mandelic acid was observed using cyclic voltammetry and square-wave voltammetry.