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 O2. The conjugated nature of the polymer backbone allows for facile electron transfer from the polymer surface to the active metal centers to affect this reduction. Rotating ring−disk measurements show only minute amounts of H2O2, indicating a selective reduction of O2 to H2O.