Charge-Transfer Patterns for [Ru(NH3)6]3+/2+ at SAM Modified Gold Electrodes: Impact of the Permeability of a Redox Probe

ABSTRACT

Electrochemical performance of a [Ru(NH3)6]3+/2+ redox couple at gold electrodes modified by alkanethiol self assembled monolayer (SAM) films of the type [–SH –(CH2)n – CH3] with different number of methylene units (n = 2 to 10) in the presence and absence of glucose additives has been studied using fast scan cyclic and steady-state voltammetry. Specific scatter of measured rate constants caused by enhanced sensitivity of this probe to minor defects of SAMs has been observed in a general agreement with the published data for thicker SAMs (n = 9 to 18). In addition, we have disclosed the anomalous viscosity-imposed drop of the heterogeneous rate constant for the case of Au electrodes modified by thinner n-alkanethiol SAMs (n = 2, 4). Taking into the account the fact of [Ru(NH3)6]3+/2+ couple’s capability to penetrate into the SAM interior, we ascribe the obtained results to the manifestation of the solvent-friction mechanism under the condition where the redox species presumably together with a few of solvating water molecules reside in a SAM’s peripheral interior marked by much higher local viscosity (slower dielectric relaxation) compared to the electrolyte solution.

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