Investigation of the lifetimes of some pyrrole species by rapid scan cyclic voltammetry and double potential step techniques

The electrochemical oxidation of 1-(phenylsulfonyl)pyrrole (1), 3-t-butyl-1 -(phenylsulfonyl)pyrrole (2), 3-t-butylpyrrole (3), and 1-(tris-(isopropyl) silyl)pyrrole (4) was investigated by fast-scan cyclic voltammetry and doub le potential step chronoamperometry. The electron transfer rate constants w ere obtained and the lifetimes of the radical-cations resulting from oxidat ion of (1-4) were estimated using the results of the double potential step experiments in conjunction with simulation techniques. All of the radical-c ations have lifetimes less than 1 ms. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science S.A. All ri ghts reserved.