Azide-Alkyne Cycloaddition Click Reactions on Amorphous Carbon Thin Films

Amorphous carbon (aC) thin films are chemically stable films that can be functionalized through the formation of carbon-carbon or carbon-heteroatom bonds. Unlike other materials whose surface chemistries are labile under aqueous conditions, carbon surfaces are able to retain their functional groups when exposed to acidic or basic environments. The inherent stability of carbon materials, and the chemistries used to modify their surfaces, are ideal for generating functional materials such as supports for the attachment of photocatalysts. We present here an approach to terminate these films with azides. Utilizing copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition click chemistry, we demonstrate an approach for the selective and stable covalent attachment of a redox active complex, ferrocene, to the surface of these thin films. This reaction provides an efficient and flexible means for attaching a variety of alkyne-containing molecules to the surface of a thin film. XPS and electrochemical analyses confirm the presence of these various functional groups and demonstrate the necessity of the azide group in order for the click reaction to occur.Bachelor of Scienc