The riboflavin—dihydroriboflavin system in acidic medium on mercury: Part I. A chronocoulometric investigation

The riboflavin (RF)—dihydroriboflavin (DRF) system in 0.01 M HClO₄ + 0.09 M NaClO₄ has been studied on mercury by the single-step chronocoulometric technique. At ?0.040 V/SCE, where RF is still electro-inactive, this substance is adsorbed according to a Langmuir isotherm with an adsorption coefficient K_O = 5.2 × 10⁶ 1 mol^?1, giving rise to a single adsorbed monolayer. At potentials along the plateau of the RF polarographic adsorption prewave, as well as at more negative potentials, DRF is adsorbed with formation of two overlapping monolayers. This behaviour denotes strong attractive vertical interactions between overlapping adsorbed DRF molecules. The progressive shift in the chronocoulometric Q vs. E curve for electro-oxidation of adsorbed DRF towards more positive potentials with an increase in the surface concentration of DRF confirms the strength of these vertical interactions. The simultaneous presence, with formation of a charge-transfer complex, of adsorbed RF and DRF molecules along the plateau of the polarographic RF prewave, as postulated by Tedoradze and co-workers 21,22] is excluded.