Bioinorganic reaction centres on electrodes. Modified electrodes possessing amino acid, peptide and ferredoxin-type groups on a poly(pyrrole) backbone

Some amino-acid and peptide derivatives of pyrrole such as the N,N′-bis{N-[3-pyrrol-1-yl)propanoyl]-glycyl}-L-cystine methyl ester have been synthesised and characterised. The functionalised pyrroles undergo facile electropolymerisation to give electrode-bound films which are conducting in the oxidised state. Cystine-derivatised co-polymers can be converted to a cysteinyl state which allows the binding of ferredoxin centres. Activated pentafluorophenyl esters provide a convenient route to the amino-acid and peptide derivatised monomers. Importantly, electropolymerisation of an active ester allows covalent modification of electrode-bound films after polymerisation with, for example, redox-active ferrocenemethanol.