Ferrocenyl Moiety Research Articles

Unveiling Hierarchical Self-Assembly of Triazolylferrocenyl Dendrimers: Producing Non-Traditional Intrinsically Green Fluorescent Vesosomes for Nanotheranostics.

Dendrimers and supramolecular chemistry continue to fascinate researchers due to the endless unrevealed potential of their combination. This study investigates the self-assembly process of a series of hydrophobic triazolylferrocenyl dendrimers in aqueous medium. Deep investigation through NMR spectroscopy, absorption UV-vis spectroscopy along with theoretical simulations demonstrates that the ferrocenyl moieties interact intramolecularly and intermolecularly driving the self-assembly process. Data obtained by DLS, NTA, SEM, TEM, and EF-TEM demonstrate that these dendrimers, in water, spontaneously self-assemble through a hierarchical process. The dendrimers first self-assemble into uniform nanovesicles, which in turn self-assemble into larger vesosomes. The resulting vesosomes emit green non-traditional intrinsic fluorescence, which is a property that emerged from the self-assembled architectures. The vesosomes are efficiently uptaken by cancer cells and induce significant cytotoxic activity against the cancer cell line MCF-7, up to the submicromolar concentration. Positive dendritic effects are identified in the fluorescence intensity and in the cytotoxic activity of the vesosomes, which follow the trend G0-9Fc < G1-27Fc < G2-81Fc. This work showcases the remarkable potential of combining the two dynamic fields of dendrimers and supramolecular chemistry, which resulted in green fluorescent vesosomes capable of performing the dual role of cell imaging and killing, with potential applications in nanotheranostics.

Synthesis and Biological Properties of Ferrocenyl and Organic Methotrexate Derivatives.

Synthesis and biological activity of two series of modified side chain methotrexate (MTX) derivatives are presented, one with a ferrocenyl moiety inserted between the pteroyl and glutamate portions of the molecule and the other with glutamate substituted for short chain amino acids. Ferrocenyl derivatives of MTX turned out to be rather moderate inhibitors of dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) although molecular modeling suggested more effective interactions between these compounds and the target enzyme. More interestingly, ferrocene-decorated MTX derivatives were able to impede the proliferation of four murine and human cell lines as well as their methotrexate-resistant counterparts, overcoming the multidrug resistance (MDR) barrier. They were also able to directly interact with Abcc1, an MDR protein. Of the amino acid pteroyl conjugates, the γ-aminobutyric acid derivative was an efficient inhibitor of DHFR but had no effect on cell proliferation in the concentration range studied while a taurine conjugate was a poor DHFR inhibitor but able to affect cell viability. We postulate that modification of the methotrexate side chain may be an efficient strategy to overcome efflux-dependent methotrexate resistance.

Ferrocenyl Azoles: Versatile N-Containing Heterocycles and their Anticancer Activities.

The medicinal chemistry of ferrocene has gained its momentum after the discovery of biological activities of ferrocifen and ferroquine. These ferrocenyl drugs have been designed by replacing the aromatic moiety of the organic drugs, tamoxifen and chloroquine respectively, with a ferrocenyl unit. The promising biological activities of these ferrocenyl drugs have paved a path to explore the medicinal applications of several ferrocenyl conjugates. In these conjugates, the ferrocenyl moiety has played a vital role in enhancing or imparting the anticancer activity to the molecule. The ferrocenyl conjugates induce the cytotoxicity by generating reactive oxygen species and thereby damaging the DNA. In medicinal chemistry, the five membered nitrogen heterocycles (azoles) play a significant role due to their rigid ring structure and hydrogen bonding ability with the biomolecules. Several potent drug candidates with azole groups have been in use as chemotherapeutics. Considering the importance of ferrocenyl moiety and azole groups, several ferrocenyl azole conjugates have been synthesized and screened for their biological activities. Hence, in the view of a wide scope in the development of potent drugs based on ferrocenyl azole conjugates, herein we present the details of synthesis and the anticancer activities of ferrocenyl compounds bearing azole groups such as imidazole, triazoles, thiazole and isoxazoles.

Lactonization of α-Ferrocenyl Ketocarboxylic Acids via Nucleophilic Attack of Carbonyl Oxygen

The effects of the ferrocenyl moiety to enhance the nucleophilicity of the carbonyl group, situated at its adjacent position, have been explored in a series of α-ferrocenyl ketocarboxylic acids. In the presence of trifluoroacetic anhydride, 3-ferrocenoylpropionic acid and 4-ferrocenoylbutyric acid gave 5-ferrocenyl-4-trifluoroacetyl-2(3H)-furanone and 6-ferrocenyl-5-trifluoroacetyl-3,4-dihydropyran-2-one, respectively. Under similar reaction conditions, 2-ferrocenylcarbonylbenzoic acid, a keto carboxylic acid without a β-hydrogen, gave a dimerized lactone, 3,3′-diferrocenyl-3,3′-diphthalide, possibly due to radical coupling. The nucleophilic attack of carbonyl oxygen, activated by the ferrocenyl moiety, on the carboxylic carbon is assumed to be the crucial mechanistic step in forming these lactones. When the carbonyl group was reduced to an alcohol to break its conjugation with the ferrocenyl moiety, saturated lactones were isolated after the acidic workup. These results indicate that the α-ferrocenyl carbinols readily undergo solvolysis under acidic conditions, giving ferrocenylcarbenium ions, which are attacked by the carboxy oxygen to give lactones.

Amphiphilic Dendronized Copolymer-Encapsulated Au, Ag and Pd Nanoparticles for Catalysis in the 4-Nitrophenol Reduction and Suzuki-Miyaura Reactions.

The branched structures of dendronized polymers can provide good steric stabilization for metal nanoparticle catalysts. In this work, an amphiphilic dendronized copolymer containing hydrophilic branched triethylene glycol moieties and hydrophobic branched ferrocenyl moieties is designed and prepared by one-pot ring-opening metathesis polymerization, and is used as the stabilizer for metal (Au, Ag and Pd) nanoparticles. These metal nanoparticles (Au nanoparticles: 3.5 ± 3.0 nm; Ag nanoparticles: 7.2 ± 4.0 nm; Pd nanoparticles: 2.5 ± 1.0 nm) are found to be highly active in both the 4-nitrophenol reduction and Suzuki-Miyaura reactions. In the 4-nitrophenol reduction, Pd nanoparticles have the highest catalytic ability (TOF: 2060 h-1). In addition, Pd nanoparticles are also an efficient catalyst for Suzuki-Miyaura reactions (TOF: 1980 h-1) and possess good applicability for diverse substrates. The amphiphilic dendronized copolymer will open a new door for the development of efficient metal nanoparticle catalysts.

Diruthenium complexes incorporating carboxylated chalcones with phenyl or ferrocenyl units: Synthesis, structural, electrochemical and DNA binding studies

A total of eight diruthenium sawhorse and cationic complexes incorporating carboxylated chalcones with phenyl or ferrocenyl units have been synthesized and characterized. The electrochemical behavior of the sawhorse and cationic complexes incorporating the ferrocenyl moiety have been studied by cyclic voltammetry. For the cationic complexes both the diruthenium core and the ferrocenyl unit undergo oxidation, in contrast only the ferrocenyl moieties for the sawhorse complexes were oxidized. The enhanced solubility of the cationic complexes over the neutral sawhorse compounds in aqueous medium enabled DNA binding studies to be undertaken for the former. All of the cationic complexes could bind to DNA, and displayed better selectivity for quadruplex over duplex DNA. These results indicate that diruthenium cationic complexes are able to bind to quadruplex DNA and have the potential to function as telomerase inhibitors.

Activationless Electron Transfer of Redox-DNA in Electrochemical Nanogaps.

Our recent discovery of decreased reorganization energy in electrode-tethered redox-DNA systems prompts inquiries into the origin of this phenomenon and suggests its potential use to lower the activation energy of electrochemical reactions. Here, we show that the confinement of the DNA chain in a nanogap amplifies this effect to an extent to which it nearly abolishes the intrinsic activation energy of electron transfer. Employing electrochemical atomic force microscopy (AFM-SECM), we create sub-10 nm nanogaps between a planar electrode surface bearing end-anchored ferrocenylated DNA chains and an incoming microelectrode tip. The redox cycling of the DNA's ferrocenyl (Fc) moiety between the surface and the tip generates a measurable current at the scale of ∼10 molecules. Our experimental findings are rigorously interpreted through theoretical modeling and original molecular dynamics simulations (Q-Biol code). Several intriguing findings emerge from our investigation: (i) The electron transport resulting from DNA dynamics is many times faster than predicted by simple diffusion considerations. (ii) The current in the nanogap is solely governed by the electron transfer rate at the electrodes. (iii) This rate rapidly saturates as overpotentials applied to the nanogap electrodes increase, implying near-complete suppression of the reorganization energy for the oxidation/reduction of the Fc heads within confined DNA. Furthermore, evidence is presented that this may constitute a general, previously unforeseen, behavior of redox polymer chains in electrochemical nanogaps.

Synthesis of ferrocenyl benzimidazole derivatives as novel anti-Toxoplasma gondii agents.

Toxoplasmosis, a disease caused by the apicomplexan parasite Toxoplasma gondii, affects up to one third of the global population. Although immunocompetent individuals rarely experience severe symptoms, those with immunodeficiencies may potentially face fatal disease. The frontline treatments are currently sulphadiazine and pyrimethamine, which suffer from adverse side effects, and lack efficiency in clearing parasite cysts from the muscles and brain of patients. To address the need for novel, more effective, and less toxic treatments, four new ferrocenyl benzimidazole complexes 15-18 were synthesised and evaluated against the ΔKu80:mNeonGreen strain of T. gondii. Complexes 15 and 17 were found to be active with EC50 values of 17.9 and 17.5 μM respectively, with comparable activity to pyrimethamine, which had an EC50 value of 13.8 μM, and less effective than sulphadiazine, which had an EC50 value of 2.56 μM. Additionally, the compounds were found to be relatively non-toxic against HEK 293T and PNT1A human cell lines. Further investigations found that the complexes act by generating reactive oxygen species (ROS) through the ferrocenyl moiety. These complexes show potential for the development of new treatments against Toxoplasmosis.

Design and synthesis of ferrocenyl 1,4-dihydropyridines and their evaluation as kinesin-5 inhibitors.

Kinesin-5 inhibitors offer cancer cell-targeted approach, thus securing reduced systemic toxicity compared to other antimitotic agents. By modifying the 1,4-dihydropyridine-based kinesin-5 inhibitor CPUYL064 with a ferrocenyl moiety (Fc), we designed and prepared a series of organometallic hybrids that show high antiproliferative activity, with the best compounds exhibiting up to 19-fold increased activity. This enhanced activity can be attributed to the presence of the ferrocenyl moiety.

Synthesis and characterization of mono- and bi-iron chalcogeno-ferrocenylcarboxylato complexes

Chalcogenocarboxylato complexes of iron bearing ferrocenyl moieties having two iron atoms in different electronic environments have been synthesized and characterized. Synthesis is accomplished by reactions of (μ-Ex)[CpFe(CO)2]2 (E = S, x = 2–4; E = Se, x = 1) with ferrocenoyl chloride (ClCOC5H4)FeCp which generated CpFe(CO)2ECOC5H4FeCp (E = S (1), Se (2)) in good isolated yields. The analogous reaction with bi-functional ferrocene dicarbonyl dichloride (ClCOC5H4)2Fe gave both the mono substituted products CpFe(CO)2ECOC5H4Fe(C5H4COOH) (E = S (3), Se (4)) or the di-substituted species [CpFe(CO)2ECOC5H4]2Fe (E = S (5), Se (6)). The authentication details of complexes 1–6 are presented along with the results from infrared, ultraviolet-visible, proton and carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopies. In addition, the structures of 2, 3 and 4 were determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction, evidencing both the half-sandwich and sandwich geometries of the two iron centers.

Deciphering the Diversified Metabolic Behavior of Hydroxyalkyl Ferrocidiphenols as Anticancer Complexes.

Ferrocidiphenols possessing appropriate substituents in the aliphatic chain have very promising anticancer properties, but a systematic approach to deciphering their diversified metabolic behavior has so far been lacking. Herein, we show that a series of novel ferrocidiphenols bearing different hydroxyalkyl substituents exhibit strong anticancer activity as revealed in a range of in vitro and in vivo experiments. Moreover, they display diversified oxidative transformation profiles very distinct from those of previous complexes, shown by the use of chemical and enzymatic methods and in cellulo and in vivo metabolism studies. In view of this phenomenon, unprecedented chemo-evolutionary sequences that connect all the ferrocidiphenol-related intermediates and analogues have been established. In addition, a comprehensive density functional theory (DFT) study has been performed to decipher the metabolic diversification profiles of these complexes and demonstrate the delicate modulation of carbenium ions by the ferrocenyl moiety, via either α- or β-positional participation.

Unravelling dispersion forces in liquid-phase enantioseparation. Part I: Impact of ferrocenyl versus phenyl groups

BackgroundHighly ordered chiral secondary structures as well as multiple (tunable) recognition sites are the keys to success of polysaccharide carbamate-based chiral selectors in enantioseparation science. Hydrogen bonds (HBs), dipole-dipole, and π-π interactions are classically considered the most frequent noncovalent interactions underlying enantioselective recognition with these chiral selectors. Very recently, halogen, chalcogen and π-hole bonds were also identified as interactions working in polysaccharide carbamate-based selectors to promote enantiomer distinction. On the contrary, the function of dispersion interactions in this field was not explored so far. ResultsThe enantioseparation of chiral ferrocenes featuring chiral axis or chiral plane as stereogenic elements was performed by comparing five polysaccharide carbamate-based chiral columns, with the aim to identify enantioseparation outcomes that could be reasonably determined by dispersion forces, making available a reliable experimental data set for future theoretical studies to confirm the heuristic hypothesis. The effects of mobile phase polarity and temperature on the enantioseparation were considered, and potential recognition sites on analytes and selectors were evaluated by electrostatic potential (V) analysis and molecular dynamics (MD). In this first part, the enantioseparation of 3,3′-dibromo-5,5′-bis-ferrocenylethynyl-4,4′-bipyridine bearing two ferrocenylethynyl units linked to an axially chiral core was performed and compared to that of the analyte featuring the same structural motif with two phenyl groups in place of the ferrocenyl moieties. The results of this study showed the superiority of the ferrocenyl compared to the phenyl group, as a structural element favouring enantiodifferentiation. Significance and noveltyEven if dispersion (London) forces have been envisaged acting in liquid-phase enantioseparations, focused studies to explore possible contributions of dispersion forces with polysaccharide carbamate-based selectors are practically missing. This study allowed us to collect experimental information that support the involvement of dispersion forces as contributors to liquid-phase enantioseparation, paving the way to a new picture in this field.

Design, Synthesis, and Evaluation of Biological Activity of Ferrocene-Ispinesib Hybrids: Impact of a Ferrocenyl Group on the Antiproliferative and Kinesin Spindle Protein Inhibitory Activity.

With the aim to combine more than one biologically-active component in a single molecule, derivatives of ispinesib and its (S) analogue were prepared that featured ferrocenyl moieties or bulky organic substituents. Inspired by the strong kinesin spindle protein (KSP) inhibitory activity of ispinesib, the compounds were investigated for their antiproliferative activity. Among these compounds, several derivatives demonstrated significantly higher antiproliferative activity than ispinesib with nanomolar IC50 values against cell lines. Further evaluation indicated that the antiproliferative activity is not directly correlated with their KSP inhibitory activity while docking suggested that several of the derivatives may bind in a manner similar to ispinesib. In order to investigate the mode of action further, cell cycle analysis and reactive oxygen species formation were investigated. The improved antiproliferative activity of the most active compounds may be assigned to synergic effects of various factors such as KSP inhibitory activity due to the ispinesib core and ability to generate ROS and induce mitotic arrest.

Design, synthesis, solid-state and solution structures, non linear optical and computational studies of copper(II) complexes supported by variously substituted enantiomerically pure push-pull tetradentate Schiff base ligands

The synthesis, spectroscopic and structural characterization, optical and electrochemical properties and theoretical studies of a family of four new copper(II) complexes supported by a ferrocene-containing N2O2-tetradentate chiral Schiff base ligand derived from enantiomerically pure (1R,2R)-(−)-1,2-diaminocyclohexane are reported. The push-pull Cu(II) complexes were prepared following a one-pot three-component reaction involving the chiral half-unit (1R,2R)-Fc-C(=O)CHC(CH3)NH-c-C6H10NH2, copper acetate monohydrate and the appropriately 3-R,5-R’-substituted salicylaldehyde derivative in a 1:1:1 ratio (Fc = ferrocenyl; 3: R=H, R’ = Cl; 4: R=H, R’ = Br; 5: R=R’ = F;6: R=R’ = NO2), and isolated in 65–97% yields as brown microcrystalline products. The characterization of the synthesized compounds were investigated through CHN elemental analysis, UV–vis, FT-IR, high-resolution mass spectrometry, and X-ray diffraction analysis in the case of the difluoro substituted complex 5 that was obtained in the form of single crystals. It crystallizes in the orthorhombic non-centrosymmetric space group P212121, with two (R,R)-(−)-chiral carbon atoms in the structure. The four-coordinate Cu(II) metal ion adopts a slightly distorted square planar geometry. Magnetic properties of powdered samples have been investigated (2-300 K) and found consistent with a single isolated copper(II) ion (s = 1/2). Cyclic voltammetry showed that the stronger the electron withdrawing effect of the 3,5-substituents, the more anodically shifted the oxidation potential (E1/2) of the ferrocenyl moiety, following the order: 5-Cl < 5-Br < 3,5-F2 < 3,5-(NO2)2. This trend is similar when considering the values of the second-order polarizabilities β of these compounds as measured using Harmonic Light Scattering (HLS) at 1.9 µm, confirming the increasing electron withdrawing effect evidenced by electrochemical studies as well as the conjugation between the electron donor ferrocenyl moiety and the different halogen or nitro substituents through the square planar copper Schiff base framework. Finally, DFT and TD-DFT calculations allow to rationalize the structure and properties of the complexes.

Ferrozoles: Ferrocenyl derivatives of letrozole with dual effects as potent aromatase inhibitors and cytostatic agents.

In the treatment of hormone-dependent cancers, aromatase inhibitors (AI) are receiving increased attention due to some undesirable effects such as the risk of endometrial cancer and thromboembolism of SERMs (selective estrogen receptor modulators). Letrozole is the most active AI with 99% aromatase inhibition. Unfortunately, this compound also exhibits some adverse effects such as hot flashes and fibromyalgias. Therefore, there is an urgent need to explore new types of AIs that retain the same-or even increased-antitumor ability. Inspired by the letrozole structure, a set of new derivatives has been synthesized that include a ferrocenyl moiety and different heterocycles. The derivative that contains a benzimidazole ring, namely compound 6, exhibits a higher aromatase inhibitory activity than letrozole and it also shows potent cytostatic behavior when compared to other well-established aromatase inhibitors, as demonstrated by dose-response, cell cycle, apoptosis and time course experiments. Furthermore, 6 promotes the inhibition of cell growth in both an aromatase-dependent and -independent fashion, as indicated by the study of A549 and MCF7 cell lines. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics calculations on the interaction of 6 or letrozole with the aromatase binding site revealed that the ferrocene moiety increases the van der Waals and hydrophobic interactions, thus resulting in an increase in binding affinity. Furthermore, the iron atom of the ferrocene fragment can form a metal-acceptor interaction with a propionate fragment, and this results in a stronger coupling with the heme group-a possibility that is consistent with the strong aromatase inhibition of 6.

Polymorphism in pentaerythritol-derived ferrocenyl dithiophosphonates with intramolecular S-S coupling: a structural and computational study

Four new polymorphs (1–4) of pentaerythritol-derived ferrocenyl S-S coupled dithiophosphonates were obtained. The four polymorphs all crystallized in the monoclinic system but different space groups. Notable differences between polymorphs 3 and 4 lie in their respective unit cell parameters; a fifth polymorph 5 of the same compound crystallized in the orthorhombic system and was previously reported by us. Structural deviations between polymorphs were performed by molecular overlays and the statistical values were expressed as root mean square deviation (RMSD). The highest structural deviations were between polymorphs 1 & 4 and 2 & 4 with an RMSD of about 1.0 while polymorphs 3 & 4 had a smaller difference with an RMSD of about 0.25. The solid-state molecular organization in the five polymorphs was also studied and discussed in terms of molecular conformation, crystal packing and hydrogen-bonded networks. Polymorphs 1–5 contain a variety of intermolecular and intramolecular non-classical hydrogen bonding interactions which form hydrogen-bonded supramolecular architectures. In all polymorphs, these hydrogen bond interactions were between the hydrogen atoms of the substituted and unsubstituted ferrocenyl moiety and the adjoining sulfur atoms of the dithiophosphonate group. A DFT geometry optimization found that 2 had the lowest energy and verified the molecular overlay. The reactivity indices further proved 2 to be the most reactive.

Electroactive molecularly imprinted polymer nanoparticles for selective glyphosate determination

Redox-active molecularly imprinted polymer nanoparticles selective for glyphosate, MIP-Gly NPs, were devised, synthesized, and subsequently integrated onto platinum screen-printed electrodes (Pt-SPEs) to fabricate a chemosensor for selective determination of glyphosate (Gly) without the need for redox probe in the test solution. That was because, ferrocenylmethyl methacrylate was added to the polymerization mixtures during the NPs synthesis so that the resulting MIP-Gly NPs contained covalently immobilized ferrocenyl moieties as the reporting redox ingredient, conferring these NPs with electroactive properties. MIP-Gly NPs of four different compositions were evaluated. The herein described approach represents a simple and effective way to endow MIP NPs with electrochemical reporting capabilities with neither the need to functionalize them post-synthesis nor to use electrochemical mediators present in the tested solution during the analyte determinations. MIP-Gly NPs synthesized using allylamine and squaramide-based monomers appeared most selective to Gly. The Pt-SPEs modified with MIP-Gly NPs were characterized with differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Changes in the DPV peak originating from the oxidation of the ferrocenyl moieties in these MIP-Gly NPs served as the analytical signal. The DPV limit of detection and the linear dynamic concentration range for Gly were 3.7 pM and 25 pM–500 pM, respectively. Moreover, the selectivity of the fabricated chemosensors was sufficiently high to determine Gly successfully in spiked river water samples.

Control of Molecular Packing in Crystal and Electron Communication of Two Ferrocenyl Moieties across Chiral Isomannide or Isosorbide Bridge

Intramolecular electronic communication between electrochemically active groups connected by a bridging moiety can be modified through small changes in the spatial disposition of the redox active moieties and/or by the nature of the central core. In this study, chiral bio-based compounds, namely isomannide and isosorbide, were employed as cheap and easy-to-functionalize chiral scaffolds to bridge two ferrocenyl electroactive moieties. The crystal structures of both bis-ferrocenyl diester complexes were studied and they showed that the chirality of the bridge results in an open or tight helical crystal packing. The electron communication between the two electroactive units in the mixed valent monocations was also investigated using electrochemistry (cyclic voltammetry and differential pulsed voltammetry), and spectroelectrochemistry in the UV-Vis NIR. A computational study through time-dependent DFT was also employed to gain greater insight into the results obtained.

Copolymers of vinylferrocene and vinylimidazole for potential sensing applications

AbstractSince imidazole is easily protonated and well known to coordinated to various transition metals, its incorporation into a polymer with ferrocene may result in interesting electronic interactions between the ferrocenyl and imidazolium moieties. To this end, copolymers of vinylferrocene and vinylimidazole were prepared in various ratios by free radical polymerization. The interactions between the ferrocenyl and imidazolium moieties were studied by cyclic voltammetry, UV–Vis spectroscopy and density functional theory (DFT) studies. Cyclic voltammetry of polymer thin films showed multiple oxidation waves at low pH or in the presence of Pb2+ or Cd2+ ions. The UV–Vis spectrum of thin films showed an additional absorbance at 625 nm suggesting electronic interactions. In addition, DFT studies indicated that the morphology of the polymer would place some of the ferrocenyl and imidazolium moieties in close proximity.

Metallopolymers with Ferrocenyl and TEMPO Radical Units and Thermoelectric Properties of their Composites with Single‐Wall Carbon Nanotubes

AbstractRadical‐containing metallopolymers (RCMPs) represent a promising class of thermoelectric (TE) materials. Here, three RCMPs with the ferrocenyl moiety R1, R2, and R3 are synthesized. Single‐walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are used to form the composites with each of these RCMPs and the morphological, spectroscopic electrochemical, and thermoelectric properties of the three polymer composites are studied. Composite R3/SWCNT shows the highest electrical conductivity (675.7 ± 36.0 S cm−1) and power factor (174.3 ± 5.5 µW m−1 K−2) compared to R1 and R2. It is shown that when the ferrocenyl unit is incorporated into the main chain of the polymer backbone, it reveals a better TE performance than that with the ferrocenyl unit at the periphery.