Electrochemical measurements of diffusion coefficients of redox-labeled poly(ethylene glycol) dissolved in poly(ethylene glycol) melts

Ferrocene-labeled monomethoxy-poly(ethylene glycol)s (MPEG) with molecular weights of 1900 and 750 were used as redox probe solutes in poly(ethylene glycol) melt solvents of molecular weight 750, 2000, and 20 000. Cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry at microdisk electrodes were employed to measure the diffusion coefficients of the redox probes, which were independent of the probe concentration and varied between 10^-7 and 10^-10 cm²/s. Diffusional activation barrier results also suggest that the ferrocene label does not significantly influence the diffusivity of the probe molecule in the host solvent. Activation barrier, viscosity, and ionic conductivity results show that the LiClO₄ electrolyte does not influence the diffusion barrier or viscosity as long as the ether O/Li⁺ ratio is ≥250 (ca. 0.1 M) which is still a sufficient electrolyte concentration to allow quantitative electrochemical diffusion measurements.