Self-assembled monolayers on Au microelectrodes

Long chain alkanethiols self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) formed on Au microelectrodes showed higher sensitivity towards defects than the same monolayers on macroelectrodes. The analysis of cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) experiments performed on covered microelectrodes were consistent with the formation of pinholes of about 10 nm in diameter. Moreover, the EIS data exhibited a specific behavior that was interpreted invoking the short circuiting of the pinholes impedance by the surrounding surface of the microelectrode in the high frequency domain, whereas in the low frequencies, the surface covered by the SAM was assume to act as an insulator.