Azo chromophore functionalized polyesters; Synthesis, characterizations and applications for efficient Electrocatalyst for oxygen evolution reaction and heavy metal ion detection

The current study focuses on the synthesis, characterization and investigation of the potential applications of azo chromophore functionalized polyesters and their composites with graphene derivatives. Employing the two-step diazotization coupling reaction, diazo diol monomers are synthesized. Subsequently, the azo polyesters are prepared via low-temperature solution polycondensation of the diazo diols with diacid chloride followed by the incorporation of graphene derivatives to obtain composite materials. Characterization techniques including Fourier transform Infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Ultraviolet-Visible Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-Vis DRS) and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) are employed to evaluate the chain structure, degree of crystallinity, optical properties and morphology. Further, their electrocatalytic activity towards the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and detection ability toward heavy metal ion was evaluated. The results demonstrate enhanced catalytic and detection capabilities attributed to synergistic interactions between polymer and graphene components. This study provides significant insights into the development of efficient polymer-graphene hybrid materials, with potential applications in green chemistry and environmental monitoring.