The Effect of Ion-Pairing on the Open Circuit Potential of 3-Mercaptoproprionic Acid Modified Gold Electrodes

Abstract

Open circuit potential (OCP) measurement is used to monitor the charge of a monolayer of 3-mercaptopropionic acid. OCP is determined by the concentrations of the reduced and oxidized forms of a redox couple in the solution adjacent to the modified interface. OCP values were monitored in the presence of the one-electron redox couple Fe(CN)63-/4- as a function of solution pH. The OCP measured at basic pHs was different from the acidic OCP due to differences in electrostatic interactions between the interface and the redox species as described by the Nernst equation. The influence of ion-pairing with the monolayer is studied by varying the identity and concentration of the electrolyte cations in the solution.