A faradaic impedance study of the reduction of oxygen from aqueous alkaline solution at the dropping mercury electrode

The reduction of oxygen to hydrogen peroxide at a dropping mercury electrode in an aqueous solution of 1 M KNO₃+0.04 M KOH (pH=12.35) has been studied by means of impedance measurements as a function of frequency and d.c. potential. The reaction appears to be nearly reversible in the dc sense, but quasi-reversible in the ac sense. The impedance data obey the Randles' equivalent circuit with the following apparent values for the kinetic parameters: standard heterogeneous rate constant k_sh^a=0.035 cm s^?1 and cathodic transfer coefficient α^a_c=0.22. The results are interpreted in terms of a two-step charge transfer mechanism with the step O₂+eO₂^? being rate-determining.     

A.C. polarography and faradaic impedance of strongly adsorbed electroactive species: Part I. Theoretical and experimental study of a quasi-reversible reaction in the case of a Langmuir isotherm

The expression of the faradaic impedance is calculated in the case of a quasi-reversible system O+ne R under the following conditions: (a) both the oxidized and the reduced forms are strongly adsorbed; (b) the adsorption rate is large, and does not control the kinetics of the system; (c) the adsorption of both O and R obeys a Langmuir isotherm. The results show that the tangent of the phase angle is proportional to κ_s/ω (κ_s=rate constant of the electrochemical reaction). When ω→o, the phase angle tends towards 90°: the faradaic impedance becomes purely capacitive. The equation of the a.c. polarogram has been derived; whatever κ_s/ω, the peak height is proportional to the bulk concentration of the reactant, to τ^7/6 (τ=drop time), and to h^?1/2 (h=height of the mercury reservoir). When κ_s/ω→∞, the shape of the a.c. wave is identical to that of a “diffusion-controlled” a.c. wave. The experimental results obtained by a.c. polarography for the three systems azo-hydrazobenzene, benzo(c)cinnoline-dihydrobenzo(c)cinnoline and phenazine-dihydrophenazine are in excellent agreement with the theoretical predictions.     

The influence of uncompensated solution resistance on the determination of standard electrochemical rate constants by cyclic voltammetry,and some comparisons with a.c. voltammetry

a digital simulation analysis is presented of the deleterious effects of uncompensated solution resistance, R_us, on the evaluation of standard rate constant, k^s_ob, by cyclic voltammetry. The results are expressed in terms of systematic deviations of “apparent measured” rate constants, k^s_ob(app), evaluated in the conventional manner without regard for R_us, from the corresponding actual values, k^s_ob(true), as a function of R_us and other experimental parameters. Attention is focused on the effects of altering the electrode area and the double-layer capacitance on the extent of the deviations between k^s_ob(app) and k^s_ob(true), and on comparisons with corresponding simulated results obtained from phase-selective a.c. impedance data. The extent to which k^s_ob(app) <k^s_ob(true) for small R_us values was found to be similar for the cyclic and a.c. voltammetric techniques. The latter method is, however, regarded as being preferable under most circumstances in view of the greater ease of minimising, as well as evaluating, R_us for a.c. impedance measurements. The influence of solution resistance on k^s_ob measurements with microelectrodes and without iR compensation is also considered.     

In situ monitoring of gold-surface adsorption and acidic denaturation of human serum albumin by an isolation-capacitance-adopted electrochemical quartz crystal impedance system

Combined measurements of piezoelectric quartz crystal impedance (PQCI) and electrochemical impedance spectrum (EIS) using a suitable isolation capacitance is reported for the first time to monitor in situ adsorption and acidic denaturation of human serum albumin (HSA) on gold electrodes in Britton-Robinson (B-R) buffers. This method provides simultaneously mutual-interference-free and accurate parameters of EIS and PQCI. Effects of surface thiol-modification, electrode-potential and solution pH on HSA adsorption were examined and discussed. Comparative experiments of HSA adsorption in a B-R buffer of pH 6.42 on bare, cysteine- and 1-dodecanethiol-modified gold electrodes revealed that HSA adsorption is more significant on a hydrophobic (1-dodecanethiol-modified) surface. Insignificant electrode-potential effect implied minor electrostatic effects on HSA adsorption. The adsorption amount of HSA at pH 3.28 was found to be notably greater than those at pH 4.84 and 6.42. To characterize HSA adsorption, electrode standard rate constants (k_s) of the Fe(CN)₆³⁻/Fe(CN)₆⁴⁻ couple were measured before and after HSA adsorption. The k_s-pH curves on an HSA-modified Au electrode revealed that k_s increased abruptly with the decrease of solution pH below pH ∼4. Moreover, pH-dependent responses of the resonant frequency, the motional resistance, the double-layer capacitance, the capacitance of adsorbed HSA layer and the peak absorbance of HSA solutions at 278 nm all exhibited an inflexion change at pH ∼4, and these findings have been explained on the basis of acidic denaturation of HSA and electrical charges carried by HSA molecules.     

Determination of electrochemical kinetic parameters from the measurement of faradaic impedance during the growth of the dropping mercury electrode

The electrochemical kinetic parameters of the V(II)/V(III) couple in HBr solutions of different concentrations were determined from the measurement of faradaic impedance as a function of time during the growth of the dropping mercury electrode. The same method of analysis was applied to the study of the effect of uncharged surfactants on the electrode reaction of Cd(II) in 1 M NaNO₃ solutions. The rate constant of the vanadium system decreased with increasing concentration of HBr; this change of the rate constant was discussed in terms of the Frumkin double-layer effect. The relationship between the rate constant of Cd(II) and coverage of the surfactants was not linear, and followed the equation based upon Parsons' model of the blocking effect. The conditional rate constant of Cd(II) in the absence of surfactants was determined to be 0.6–1.1 cm s^?1 from the dependence of the rate constant on the coverage.     

Spectrocoulometric study of the hydrolysis of the tris (1,10-phenanthroline)iron(III) complex ion

The spectrocoulometric technique reported earlier is applied to verify the mechanism and to evaluate the contributions k_Bi of the individual bases to the total rate constant k of the hydrolysis of the tris (1,10-phenanthroline) iron(III) complex, Fe (phen)³⁺₃. Both normal and “open-circuit” spectrocoulometric experiments are used. Partial rate constants for four bases in the acetate-buffered solutions are k_H2O=(3.4±1.2) × 10^?4s^?1 (k_H2O includes the H₂O concentration), k_OH=(1.20±0.06)×10⁷ mol^?1dm³s^?1, k_phen=(1.4±0.2) mol^?1dm³s^?1, k_Ac=(3.8±0.3)×10^?2 mol^?1dm³s^?1, at 25°C and ionic strength 0.5 mol dm^?3. The Fe(phen)³⁺³ hydrolysis, with (phen)₂ (H₂O) Fe-O-Fe (H₂O) (phen)⁴⁺² formation, is first order with respect to Fe (phen)³⁺³ and the bases present in the solution. The rate-determining step in the hydrolysis is the entry of a base to the coordinating sphere of the complex, as in the hydrolysis of the analogous 2,2′-bipyridyl complex.     

Electrochemical Investigation of Cytochrome c Immobilized onto Self‐Assembled Monolayer of Captopril

The electrochemical behavior of cytochrome c (cyt‐c) that was electrostatically immobilized onto a self‐assembled monolayer (SAM) of captopril (capt) on a gold electrode has been investigated. Cyclic voltammetry, scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy were employed to evaluate the blocking property of the capt SAM. SECM was used to measure the bimolecular electron transfer (ET) kinetics (k_BI) between a solution‐based redox probe and the immobilized protein. In addition, the tunneling ET between the immobilized protein and the underlying gold electrode was calculated. A k_BI value of (5.0±0.6)×10⁸ mol^?1 cm³ s^?1 for the bimolecular ET and a standard tunneling rate constant (k⁰) of 46.4±0.2 s^?1 for the tunneling ET have been obtained.     

Biphasic oxidation of diaquadichloro(1,10-phenanthroline)chromium(III) by N-bromosuccinimide and the formation of chromium(IV) and chromium(V)

The kinetics of oxidation of diaquadichloro(1,10-phenanthroline)chromium(III) complex, [Cr^III(phen)(H₂O)₂Cl₂]⁺, by N-bromosuccinimide (NBS) is biphasic. The first faster step involves the oxidation of Cr(III) to Cr(IV). The second slower step is due to the oxidation of Cr(IV) to Cr(V). The reaction product is isolated and characterized by electron spin resonance (ESR), IR, and elemental analysis. The chromium(V) product is consistent with the formula [Cr^V(phen)Cl₂(O)]Br. The rate constants k_f and k_s, for the faster and the slower steps respectively, were obtained using an Origin 9.0 software program. Values of both k_f and k_s, varied linearly with [NBS] at constant reaction conditions. The effect of pH on the reaction rate is investigated over the pH (4.11–6.01) range at 25.0°C. The rate constants k_f and k_s increased with increasing pH. This is consistent with hydroxo forms of the chromium species being more reactive than the aqua forms. Chromium(III) complexes, more often than not, are inert. The oxidation of the Cr(III) complex to Cr(IV), most likely, proceeds by an outer sphere mechanism. Since chromium(IV) is labile the mechanism of its oxidation to chromium(V) is not certain.     

The oxidation of thiosulphate ions by octacyanotungstate(V) in weak acidic medium

The kinetics of the oxidation of thiosulphate ions by octacyanotungstate(V) ions has been studied in the pH range 3.9–5.0. The reaction showed zero-order kinetics with respect to [W(CN)₈^3?] and is consistent with the rate law R = k[H⁺][S₂O₃^2?]². A reaction mechanism is proposed for the reaction with a third-order rate constant of 0.26 M^?2 s^?1 at 25°C.     

Reaction mechanism of the benzoquinone/hydroquinone couple at platinum electrodes in aqueous solutions: Retardation and enhancement of electrode kinetics by single chemisorbed layers

The electrochemical kinetics of the benzoquinone (Q)/hydroquinone (H₂Q) redox couple at platinum electrodes in aqueous solutions has been found to be extremely sensitive to the nature of species adsorbed on the electrode surface at monolayer coverages. Experimental measurements were based on thin-layer cyclic voltammetry; the use of thin-layer electrodes was dictated by the need to minimize surface contamination. Bulky neutral or anionic aromatic adsorbates led to the familiar U-shaped rate-vs.-pH curves; the rate minimum occurred near pH 4. Kinetic effects due to oriental changes of chemisorbed species were noted only when the rate was low. Adsorbed 1 atoms led to comparatively rapid reactivity (rate constant k° > 10^?3 cm s^?1) and virtual independence of pH. Profound retardation resulted from pretreatment ofthe surface with CN^? and SCN^?; total irreversibility (k° < 10^?6 cm s^?1) was observed at pH 4, with a further decrease in rate at pH 7. In contrast, when the surface contained n layer of chemisorbed phenyltriethylammonium cations, the electrode rate increased with increasing pH. The results indicate that different reaction pathways predominate when different absorbates are present.     

Mechanism and reaction rate of the karl-fischer titration reaction: Part I. Potentiometric measurements

The reaction rate of the coulometric variant of the Karl-Fischer titration reaction (in which electrolytically generated triiodide is used as oxidant instead of iodine) has been measured in methanol. The reaction is first order in water, sulfur dioxide and triiodide, respectively. For pH<5 the reaction rate constant decreases logarithmically with decreasing pH. Addition of pyridine solely influences the pH (by fixing it to a value of about 6) and has no direct influence on the reaction rate. A linear relation exists between the reaction rate constant and the reciprocal value of the iodide concentration, from which we can calculate the individual reaction rates for the oxidation by iodine and triiodide, respectively. While the reaction rate constant for triiodide is relatively small (k₃≈350 l² mol^?2s^?1), the reaction rate constant for iodine is much larger (k₃≈1.5×10⁷ l² mol^?2 s^?1.     

Ag(I)‐Catalyzed Chlorination of Linezolid during Water Treatment: Kinetics and Mechanism

The kinetic and mechanistic study of Ag(I)‐catalyzed chlorination of linezolid (LNZ) by free available chlorine (FAC) was investigated at environmentally relevant pH 4.0–9.0. Apparent second‐order rate constants decreased with an increase in pH of the reaction mixture. The apparent second‐order rate constant for uncatalyzed reaction, e.g., k″_app = 8.15 dm³ mol⁻¹ s⁻¹ at pH 4.0 and k″_app. = 0.076 dm³ mol⁻¹ s⁻¹ at pH 9.0 and 25 ± 0.2°C and for Ag(I) catalyzed reaction total apparent second‐order rate constant, e.g., k″_app = 51.50 dm³ mol⁻¹ s⁻¹ at pH 4.0 and k″_app. = 1.03 dm³ mol⁻¹ s⁻¹ at pH 9.0 and 25 ± 0.2°C. The Ag(I) catalyst accelerates the reaction of LNZ with FAC by 10‐fold. A mechanism involving electrophilic halogenation has been proposed based on the kinetic data and LC/ESI/MS spectra. The influence of temperature on the rate of reaction was studied; the rate constants were found to increase with an increase in temperature. The thermodynamic activation parameters E_a, ΔH^#, ΔS^#, and ΔG^# were evaluated for the reaction and discussed. The influence of catalyst, initially added product, dielectric constant, and ionic strength on the rate of reaction was also investigated. The monochlorinated substituted product along with degraded one was formed by the reaction of LNZ with FAC.     

Noise and ac impedance analysis of ion transfer kinetics at the micro liquid/liquid interface

Fluctuation analysis was utilized to determine the TEA ion transfer kinetics across the water/1,2-dichloroethane interface. The obtained data were compared with those derived from electrochemical impedance spectroscopy experiments using the same electrolytic cell. The apparent standard rate constants k_s determined by these two techniques have a similar value. The average value k_s = 0.37 cm s^− 1 is comparable with the previously reported value k_s = 0.2 cm s^− 1. The experimental approach utilizing a thick wall glass micro-capillary to fix the interface exhibits a very small stray capacitance value, proving this system to be suitable for determining the kinetics of the fast ion transfer across a liquid/liquid interface. Application of a method employing a small perturbation signal prevents polarization of the inner capillary surface by current flowing through the cell. The induced polarization of the capillary can affect ion concentration at the interface due to electroosmosis and thus make the kinetic data evaluation difficult or erroneous.     

Cytochrome c embraced in sodium dodecyl sulfate nano-micelle as a homogeneous nanostructured peroxidase

A homogeneous nanostructured enzyme (artificial peroxidase, AP) with suitable catalytic efficiency was generated using bovine heart cytochrome c (Cyt c) and sodium dodecyl sulfate nano-micelles in 50?mM phosphate buffer pH 10.5 at 25?°C. The Michaelis?CMenten (K _m) and catalytic rate (k _cat) of the AP were determined to be 21.6?±?1.2???M and 0.474?±?0.013?s^?1, respectively. The catalytic efficiency of the AP was 0.0219?±?0.002???M^?1s^?1, which was 30?±?1.5?% as efficient as the native horseradish peroxidase (HRP). The mean diameter of AP was measured to be 6.4?nm using dynamic light scattering technique. The UV?CVis spectrometry, circular dichroism, surface tension, isothermal titration calorimetric and electrochemistry methods were utilized for additional characterization of the AP. Together our results suggest that the AP generated here can be used in place of HRP in industrial and commercial fields under some extreme conditions.     

Inner-sphere oxidation of iron(II) by tris(malonato)cobaltate(III)

The kinetics of oxidation of Fe²⁺ by [Co(C₃H₂O₄)₃]^3? in acidic solutions at 605 nm showed a simple first-order dependence in each reactant concentration. The second-order rate constant dependence on [H⁺] is in accordance with eqn (i) k₂ = k′₂ + k₃[H⁺] (i) where k′₂ and k₃ have values of 73.4 ± 14.0 M ^?1 s^?1 and 353 ± 41 M^?2 s^?1, respectively, at 1.0 M ionic strength (NaClO₄) and 25°C. At 310 nm the formation and decomposition of an intermediate, believed to be [FeC₃H₂O₄]⁺, was observed. The increase in the rate of oxidation with increasing [H⁺] was interpreted in terms of a “one-ended” dissociation mechanism which facilitates chelation of Fe₂₊ by the carbonyl oxygens of malonate in the transition state.     

The interface behavior of hemoglobin at carbon nanotube and the detection for H(2)O(2)

Direct electrochemistry of hemoglobin (Hb) is observed at carbon nanotube (CNT) interface. The adsorbing Hb can transfer electron directly at CNT interface compared with common carbon material. The heterogeneous electron transfer rate constant k of Hb can be calculated as 0.062 s⁻¹, the transfer coefficient α is 0.21 and the average surface coverage of Hb on CNT surface is 3.58 × 10⁻⁹ ± 2.7 × 10⁻¹⁰ mol/cm². It is found that the adsorbing Hb still keeps its catalytic activity to H₂O₂. This sensor was used to detect H₂O₂. The apparent Michaelis-Menten constant is calculated as 6.75 × 10⁻⁴ mol L⁻¹.     

Label-free electrochemical impedance detection of kinase and phosphatase activities using carbon nanofiber nanoelectrode arrays

We demonstrate the feasibility of a label-free electrochemical method to detect the kinetics of phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of surface-attached peptides catalyzed by kinase and phosphatase, respectively. The peptides with a sequence specific to c-Src tyrosine kinase and protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) were first validated with ELISA-based protein tyrosine kinase assay and then functionalized on vertically aligned carbon nanofiber (VACNF) nanoelectrode arrays (NEAs). Real-time electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (REIS) measurements showed reversible impedance changes upon the addition of c-Src kinase and PTP1B phosphatase. Only a small and unreliable impedance variation was observed during the peptide phosphorylation, but a large and fast impedance decrease was observed during the peptide dephosphorylation at different PTP1B concentrations. The REIS data of dephosphorylation displayed a well-defined exponential decay following the Michaelis–Menten heterogeneous enzymatic model with a specific constant, k_cat/K_m, of (2.1 ± 0.1) × 10⁷ M⁻¹ s⁻¹. Consistent values of the specific constant was measured at PTP1B concentration varying from 1.2 to 2.4 nM with the corresponding electrochemical signal decay constant varying from 38.5 to 19.1 s. This electrochemical method can be potentially used as a label-free method for profiling enzyme activities in fast reactions.     

Kinetics of the photoaquation of Hexacyanoferrate(II) ion

Kinetics of the photoaquation of hexacyanoferrate(II) ion in aqueous solution were studied potentiometrically and spectrophotometrically. Supposing the simplest mechanism (see Fig. 3. in text), the photoaquation in alkaline medium can be well described. The value of the constants at pH = ll.0 are: ø = 0.8-1.0, k₆ = (3.0 ± 0.5) × 10^?8 s^?1 and k_?6 = 1.5 ± 0.2 mol^?1 dm₃ s^?1. To describe the photoaquation in neutral medium t was extended (k′ = 3.33 x 10² mol^?1 dm³s^?1). The quantum yield in acidic medium can be calculated by combination of ø values of different protonated complexes. The reversibility of photoaquation in alkaline medium is also explained by the scheme.     

Electrode kinetic studies of single electron charge transfer redox couples using the faradaic rectification method

Three single electron charge transfer redox reactions have been studied using the faradaic rectification method. The kinetic parameters obtained for the ferricyanide-ferrocyanide redox couple are α=0.49, k_a⁰=12×10^?2 cm s^?1; for the chromic-chromous system α=0.47, k_a⁰=2×10^?3 cm s^?1 and for the titanic-titanous reaction α=0.49 and k_a^o=6×10^?4 cm s^?1 at 27°C.