Electrocatalytic conducting polymers: Oxygen reduction by a polythiophene-cobalt salen hybrid

Polythiophene-transition metal hybrid materials based on cobalt salen have been prepared and shown to catalyze the reduction of O-2. The conjugated na ture of the polymer backbone allows for facile electron transfer from the p olymer surface to the active metal centers to affect this reduction. Rotati ng ring-disk measurements show only minute amounts of H2O2, indicating a se lective reduction of O-2 to H2O.