Dynamic diffuse double-layer model for the electrochemistry of nanometer-sized electrodes

A dynamic diffuse double-layer model is developed for describing the electrode/electrolyte interface bearing a redox reaction. It overcomes the dilemma of the traditional voltammetric theories based on the depletion layer and Frumkin's model for double-layer effects in predicating the voltammetric behavior of nanometer-sized electrodes. Starting from the Nernst-Planck equation, a dynamic interfacial concentration distribution is derived, which has a similar form to the Boltzmann distribution equation but contains the influence of current density. Incorporation of the dynamic concentration distribution into the Poisson and Butler-Volmer equations, respectively, produces a dynamic potential distribution equation containing the influence of current and a voltammetric equation containing the double-layer effects. Computation based on these two equations gives both the interfacial structure (potential and concentration profiles) and voltammetric behavior. The results show that the electrochemical interface at electrodes of nanometer scales is more like an electric-double-layer, whereas the interface at electrodes larger than 100 nm can be treated as a concentration depletion layer. The double-layer nature of the electrode/electrolyte interface of nanometer scale causes the voltammetric responses to vary with electrode size, reactant charge, the value of formal redox potential, and the dielectric properties of the compact double-layer. These voltammetric features are novel in comparison to the traditional voltammetric theory based on the transport of redox molecules in the depletion layer.     

Comparative study of the thermodynamics and kinetics of the ion transfer across the liquid/liquid interface by means of three-phase electrodes

A comparative study of the behavior of different sorts of three-phase electrodes applied for assessing the thermodynamics and kinetics of the ion transfer across the liquid/liquid (L/L) interface is presented. Two types of three-phase electrodes are compared, that is, a paraffin-impregnated graphite electrode at the surface of which a macroscopic droplet of an organic solvent is attached and an edge pyrolytic graphite electrode partly covered with a very thin film of the organic solvent. The organic solvent contains either decamethylferrocene or lutetium bis(tetra-tert-butylphthalocyaninato) as a redox probe. The role of the redox probe, the type of the electrode material, the mass transfer regime, and the effect of the uncompensated resistance are discussed. The overall electrochemical process at both three-phase electrodes proceeds as a coupled electron-ion transfer reaction. The ion transfer across the L/L interface, driven by the electrode reaction of the redox compound at the electrode/organic solvent interface, is independent of the type of redox probe. The ion transfer proceeds without involving any chemical coupling between the transferring ion and the redox probe. Both types of three-phase electrodes provide consistent results when applied for measuring the energy of the ion transfer. Under conditions of square-wave voltammetry, the coupled electron-ion transfer at the three-phase electrode is a quasireversible process, exhibiting the property known as "quasireversible maximum". The overall electron-ion transfer process at the three-phase electrode is controlled by the rate of the ion transfer. It is demonstrated for the first time that the three-phase electrode in combination with the quasireversible maximum is a new tool for assessing the kinetics of the ion transfer across the L/L interface.     

Wiring enzymes in nanostructures built with electrostatically self-assembled thin films.

The construction of electrostatically self-assembled intelligent nanostructures on electrodes with redox enzyme layers and redox polymer molecular wires defined in space allowed the analysis of redox charge transport from the redox enzyme to the electrode along nanometric distances. Recent results on the electrical connection of enzymes to electrodes and perspectives of generating electrical signals from molecular recognition in integrated enzyme electrodes are discussed.     

On the origin of the efficient nanoparticle mediated electron transfer across a self-assembled monolayer

Recent advances in bioelectrochemistry came from the elaboration of conducting electrodes modified by an organic layer onto which nanoparticles are adsorbed. Self-assembled monolayers on noble-metal electrodes are known to hinder the electrochemical kinetics of fast-transfer redox systems. Surprisingly, fast kinetics are recovered when metal nanoparticles are deposited on top of the monolayer. We show that this surprising behavior can be fully accounted for when realizing that electron transfer from metal to metal is intrinsically easier than transfer between metal and redox system by many orders of magnitude.     

Dynamics of electron hopping in redox polymer electrodes using kinetic Ising model

The analysis of diffusion-migration equations pertaining to electron hopping and physical displacement in redox polymer electrodes is carried out using kinetic Ising model formalism. It is shown that, by the appropriate choice of transition probabilities obeying detailed balancing conditions, a hierarchy of transport equations can be derived. Earlier transport equations due to Nernst-Planck and Savéant are derived as special cases. The dependence of apparent diffusion coefficient on number density of redox centres, polymer morphology etc. are pointed out. Several new insights concerning the microscopic basis underlying the hitherto known phenomenological equations are demonstrated. Received: 27 May 1997 / Accepted: 24 July 1997     

氧化方式对发泡镍电极中CoOOH导电网络稳定性的影响

应用化学氧化(CO)和电化学氧化法(EO)于发泡式镍电极中引入CoOOH导电网络.循环伏安和X射线衍射法研究其还原氧化行为.实验表明,由化学氧化法制备的CoOOH(CO),其电化学还原氧化反应的可逆性优于CoOOH(EO);当镍电极的电位被强制性降低时,前者的结构能够保持稳定.因此,金属氢化物-镍电池经过强制性过放电储存后,于镍电极中引入CoOOH(CO)导电网络的电池容量保持率达到97.7%,而引入CoOOH(EO)导电网络的电池仅为81.4%.     

Electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance study on the two-electrode-system cyclic voltammetric behavior of Prussian blue films

A two-channel electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM) was used to investigate the cyclic voltammetric behavior of two Prussian blue (PB) film-modified Au electrodes in a two-electrode con-figuration in aqueous solution. The redox peaks observed in the two-electrode cyclic voltammogram (CV) are assigned to the intrinsic redox transitions among the Everitt's salt, PB, and Prussian yellow for the film itself, the redox process of the Au substrate and the redox process of small-quantity ferri-/ferrocyanide impurities entrapped in the PB film, as also supported by ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroelectrochemical data. The profile of the two-electrode solid-state CV for the PB powder sand-wiched between two gold-coated indium-tin oxide (ITO) electrodes is similar to that for two PB-modified Au electrodes in aqueous solution, implying similar origins for the corresponding redox peaks. The two-channel EQCM method is expected to become a highly effective technique for the studies of the two-electrode electrochemical behaviors of many other species/materials.     

The response of halide ion-selective electrodes to redox systems : A comparison between silver/silver halide electrodes and silver sulphide- based halide ion-selective electrodes

Silver/silver chloride and bromide electrodes, prepared by anodizing ordinary silver electrodes, and the corresponding ion-selective electrodes based on silver sulphide, were tested for their susceptibility towards redox systems. It proved that the latter type of electrode responded significantly to strong oxidants. In contrast, the silver/silver halide types were highly resistant to redox interference provided that the silver halide layer was free from open pores. This could be achieved by generation of sufficiently thick layers and by selection of suitable current densities during electrodeposition (<20 mA cm^-2). The interrelation between the conditions of silver chloride film generation and redox resistance of the resulting electrodes is described in detail.     

Nanoparticle films as electrodes: voltammetric sensitivity to the nanoparticle energy gap

Electron-transfer reactions of redox solutes at electrode/solution interfaces are facilitated when their formal potentials match, or are close to, the energy of an electronic state of the electrode. Metal electrodes have a continuum of electronic levels, and redox reactions occur without restraint over a wide span of electrode potentials. This paper shows that reactions on electrodes composed of films of metal nanoparticles do have constraints when the nanoparticles are sufficiently small and molecule-like so as to exhibit energy gaps, and resist electron transfers with redox solutes at potentials within the energy gap. When solute formal potentials are near the electronic states of the nanoparticles in the film, electron-transfer reactions can occur. The electronic states of the nanoparticle film electrodes are reflected in the formal potentials of the electrochemical reactions of the dissolved nanoparticles at naked metal electrodes. These ideas are demonstrated by voltammetry of aqueous solutions of the redox solutes methyl viologen, ruthenium hexammine, and two ferrocene derivatives at films on electrodes of 1.1 nm core diameter Au nanoparticles coated with protecting monolayers of phenylethanethiolate ligands. The methyl viologen solute is unreactive at the nanoparticle film electrode, having a formal potential lying in the nanoparticle's energy gap. The other solutes exhibit electron transfers, albeit slowed by the electron hopping resistance of the nanoparticle film. The nanoparticles are not linked together, being insoluble in the aqueous medium; a small amount of an organic additive (acetonitrile) facilitates observing the redox solute voltammetry.     

硫醇分子链长对氧化还原自组装多层膜电化学行为影响的初步研究(英文)

以烷基硫醇和二茂铁衍生物构建的氧化-还原自组装多层膜为模型体系,研究烷基硫醇分子链长对多层膜电化学行为的影响.实验表明,二茂铁基团和电极之间的电子传递反应速率随两者距离的增加呈现指数级下降的趋势;烷基硫醇分子链长对自组装膜电化学行为的影响于不同情况下表现不同.本实验条件下,当多层膜上的电活性基团与电极比较接近时,长链分子自组装膜呈现较强的电化学响应.而当电极与电活性基团之间的距离较远时,短链烷基硫醇分子自组装膜呈现较强的电化学响应.     

氧化还原蛋白质电化学研究*

研究氧化还原蛋白质与电极之间的电子传递过程不仅为理解代谢过程提供有价值的信息,而且为制备生物传感器奠定基础。本文从蛋白质修饰电极、蛋白质在电极表面的定向固定及蛋白质人工改造三方面,评述了近年来氧化还原蛋白质电化学研究的进展,并提出了今后可能的研究方向。     

An electrochemical immunosensor using p-aminophenol redox cycling by NADH on a self-assembled monolayer and ferrocene-modified Au electrodes

Redox cycling of enzymatically amplified electroactive species has been widely employed for high signal amplification in electrochemical biosensors. However, gold (Au) electrodes are not generally suitable for redox cycling using a reducing (or oxidizing) agent because of the high background current caused by the redox reaction of the agent at highly electrocatalytic Au electrodes. Here we report a new redox cycling scheme, using nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH), which can be applied to Au electrodes. Importantly, p-aminophenol (AP) redox cycling by NADH is achieved in the absence of diaphorase enzyme. The Au electrodes are modified with a mixed self-assembled monolayer of mercaptododecanoic acid and mercaptoundecanol, and a partially ferrocenyl-tethered dendrimer layer. The self-assembled monolayer of long thiol molecules significantly decreases the background current of the modified Au electrodes, and the ferrocene modification facilitates easy oxidation of AP. The low amount of ferrocene on the Au electrodes minimizes ferrocene-mediated oxidation of NADH. In sandwich-type electrochemical immunosensors for mouse immunoglobulin G (IgG), an alkaline phosphatase label converts p-aminophenylphosphate (APP) into electroactive AP. The amplified AP is oxidized to p-quinoneimine (QI) by electrochemically generated ferrocenium ion. NADH reduces QI back to AP, which can be re-oxidized. This redox cycling enables a low detection limit for mouse IgG (1 pg mL(-1)) to be obtained.     

Strategies for "wiring" redox-active proteins to electrodes and applications in biosensors, biofuel cells, and nanotechnology

In this tutorial review the basic approaches to establish electrochemical communication between redox-active proteins and electrodes are elucidated and examples for applications in electrochemical biosensors, biofuel cells and nanotechnology are presented. The early stage of protein electrochemistry is described giving a short overview over electron transfer (ET) between electrodes and proteins, followed by a brief introduction into experimental procedures for studying proteins at electrodes and possible applications arising thereof. The article starts with discussing the electrochemistry of cytochrome c, the first redox-active protein, for which direct reversible ET was obtained, under diffusion controlled conditions and after adsorption to electrodes. Next, examples for the electrochemical study of redox enzymes adsorbed on electrodes and modes of immobilization are discussed. Shortly the experimental approach for investigating redox-active proteins adsorbed on electrodes is outlined. Possible applications of redox enzymes in electrochemical biosensors and biofuel cells working by direct ET (DET) and mediated ET (MET) are presented. Furthermore, the reconstitution of redox active proteins at electrodes using molecular wire-like units in order to "wire" the proteins to the electrode surface and possible applications in nanotechnology are discussed.     

Cyclic voltammetry and voltabsorptometry studies of redox proteins immobilised on nanocrystalline tin dioxide electrodes

Protein film cyclic voltammetry is a well-established technique for the study of redox proteins immobilised on electrode surfaces. In this paper, we use nanostructured SnO(2) electrodes to demonstrate that cyclic voltabsorptometry is an effective, complimentary approach to such studies of protein redox function. We exemplify this approach using two different redox systems: microperoxidase-11 (MP-11) and flavodoxin Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough (Fld). Both systems were immobilised on nanocrystalline SnO(2) electrodes and the resulting films investigated by simultaneous cyclic voltammetry and voltabsorptometry. We demonstrate that cyclic voltabsorptometry allows the unambiguous and background free observation of redox reactions for both systems studied.     

Role of acidity on the electrochemistry of Prussian Blue at plain and Nation filmcoated electrodes

Prussian Blue (PB) coated on plain platinum (Pt) shows a redox wave at 0.44V vs SCE in addition to the two usual redox waves at 0.82 and 0.12 V vs SCE when the electrodes were dipped in acidic KC1 solution. PB incorporated into Nation film-coated on Pt electrode exhibited the same behaviour even in the presence of neutral KG solution. In acidic KC1, the additional redox wave observed for PB incorporated into Nation film shifted positively to 0.39V vs SCE and the peak separation was reduced to 30mV. The observed additional redox wave for PB coated on plain Pt electrode and incorporated into Nafion film-coated Pt electrodes was assigned to the partial reduction of PB occurring due to the insertion of protons into the film. The effect of various cations on the electrochemistry of PB incorporated into Nafion film-coated electrode was also studied.     

High electro-catalytic graphite felt/Mn O2composite electrodes for vanadium redox flow batteries

A mild and simple synthesis process for large-scale vanadium redox flow batteries(VRFBs)energy storage systems is desirable.A graphite felt/Mn O_2(GF-MNO)composite electrode with excellent electrocatalytic activity towards VO~(2+)/VO_2~+redox couples in a VRFB was synthesized by a one-step hydrothermal process.The resulting GF-MNO electrodes possess improved electrochemical kinetic reversibility of the vanadium redox reactions compared to pristine GF electrodes,and the corresponding energy efficiency and discharge capacity at 150 m A cm~(-2)are increased by 12.5%and 40%,respectively.The discharge capacity is maintained at 4.8 A h L~(-1)at the ultrahigh current density of 250 m A cm~(-2).Above all,80%of the energy efficiency of the GF-MNO composite electrodes is retained after 120 charge-discharge cycles at 150 m A cm~(-2).Furthermore,these electrodes demonstrated that more evenly distributed catalytic active sites were obtained from the Mn O_2particles under acidic conditions.The proposed synthetic route is facile,and the raw materials are low cost and environmentally friendly.Therefore,these novel GF-MNO electrodes hold great promise in large-scale vanadium redox flow battery energy storage systems.     

Zero-current bipotentiometric end-point indication with pretreated electrodes-V Use of pretreated tin oxide electrodes

The redox response of a tin oxide electrode is determined. A pair of differently pretreated tin oxide electrodes is used for zero-current bipotentiometric indication of the end-point in redox titrations.     

Detection of dopamine in the presence of excess ascorbic acid at physiological concentrations through redox cycling at an unmodified microelectrode array

The electrochemical behavior of dopamine was examined under redox cycling conditions in the presence and absence of a high concentration of the interferent ascorbic acid at a coplanar, microelectrode array where the area of the generator electrodes was larger than that of the collector electrodes. Redox cycling converts a redox species between its oxidized and reduced forms by application of suitable potentials on a set of closely located generator and collector electrodes. It allows signal amplification and discrimination between species that undergo reversible and irreversible electron transfer. Microfabrication was used to produce 18 individually addressable, 4-μm-wide gold band electrodes, 2 mm long, contained in an array having an interelectrode spacing of 4 μm. Because the array electrodes are individually addressable, each can be selectively biased to produce an overall optimal electrochemical response. Four adjacent microbands were shorted together to serve as the collector, and were flanked on each side by seven microbands shorted as the generator (a ratio of 1:3.5 of electroactive area, respectively). This configuration achieved a detection limit of 0.454?±?0.026 μM dopamine at the collector in the presence of 100 μM ascorbic acid in artificial cerebrospinal fluid buffer, concentrations that are consistent with physiological levels. Enhancement by surface modification of the microelectrode array to achieve this detection limit was unnecessary. The results suggest that the redox cycling method may be suitable for in vivo quantification of transients and basal levels of dopamine in the brain without background subtraction.

Stochastic amperometric fluctuations as a probe for dynamic adsorption in nanofluidic electrochemical systems

Adsorption of analyte molecules is ubiquitous in nanofluidic channels due to their large surface-to-volume ratios. It is also difficult to quantify due to the nanometric scale of these channels. We propose a simple method to probe dynamic adsorption at electrodes that are embedded in nanofluidic channels or which enclose nanoscopic volumes. The amperometric method relies on measuring the amplitude of the fluctuations of the redox cycling current that arise when the channel is diffusively coupled to a bulk reservoir. We demonstrate the versatility of this new method by quantifying adsorption for several redox couples, investigating the dependence of adsorption on the electrode potential and studying the effect of functionalizing the electrodes with self-assembled monolayers of organothiol molecules bearing polar end groups. These self-assembled monolayer coatings are shown to significantly reduce the adsorption of the molecules on to the electrodes. The detection method is not limited to electrodes in nanochannels and can be easily extended to redox cycling systems that enclose very small volumes, in particular scanning electrochemical microscopy with nanoelectrodes. It thus opens the way for imaging spatial heterogeneity with respect to adsorption, as well as rational design of interfaces for redox cycling based sensors.     

镍纳米线电极的电化学氧化还原行为及其对乙醇的电化学氧化催化作用

镍电极;电池;电催化;镍纳米线电极的电化学氧化还原行为及其对乙醇的电化学氧化催化作用