Creating the Ideal Push-Pull System for Electrocatalysis: A Comparative Study on Symmetrical and Asymmetrical Cardanol-based Cobalt Phthalocyanines

A symmetrical cardanol-based cobalt phthalocyanine (Pc) along with its asymmetrical acid-based derivatives were synthesized and applied in the electrocatalysis of hydrazine. Despite the inhibition of electron movement by the bulky cardanol-based substituent throughout the series of molecules, an ideal combination of substituents was established in GCE- 3 (2,9,16-tris(3-pentadecylphenoxy)-23-mono propionic acid phthalocyanato cobalt (II)) where a limit of detection (LoD) value of 5.10 μM (signal to noise ratio=5) was recorded for the detection of hydrazine. The results obtained serve as an illustration that the combination of electron-donating and electron-withdrawing substituents has a significant influence on the complete functioning of the phthalocyanine molecule(s) being investigated.     

Electrocatalytic Activity of Asymmetrical Cobalt Phthalocyanines in the Presence of N Doped Graphene Quantum Dots: The Push‐pull Effects of Substituents

A series of Co phthalocyanine (CoPc) derivatives and their respective nitrogen doped graphene quantum dot conjugates were used as catalysts towards the electrooxidation of hydrazine. Using a glassy carbon electrode as a support for the electrocatalysts, through cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry, the effects of combining the CoPcs with the nitrogen doped graphene quantum dots (NGQDs) were studied. The general observations made were that the NGQDs improve the catalytic activity of the CoPcs in both the π‐π stacked and covalently linked conjugates by increasing the sensitivities and lowering the limits of detection with values as low as 0.43 μM being recorded.