Molecular insights into electrochemical surfaces with EC-TERS

The redox state, geometry and chemical conversion of molecular or biomolecular moieties in contact withThe redox state, geometry and chemical conversion of molecular or biomolecular moieties in contact withan electrified interface can be tuned by adjusting the applied potential. To improve device design inbiotechnology, molecular electronics or electrochemical energy conversion applications, detailedunderstanding of reaction-site specific interfacial electron transfer on the structural and physico-chemicalproperties of (bio)molecular adsorbates is required.In this talk, I will present our recent development of electrochemical tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy(EC-TERS) as a powerful tool to study electrified solid/liquid interfaces with molecular detail.[1-4] Acombination of EC-STM and Raman spectroscopy, EC-TERS provides the potential-dependent chemicalfingerprint of interfacial species and electrode surfaces with <10 nm spatial resolution, in combinationwith topographic information on the region of interest.In a proof-of-concept study, we have investigated the electrochemical behavior of less than 100 small,non-resonant adenine molecules at Au(111).[3,4] From the spectral changes observed as a function ofpotential, the conformational and chemical changes of the showcase DNA base, namely the adsorptionstate and geometrical reorientation following molecule (de)protonation were deduced by combining ECTERSexperimental and theoretical simulation data.Our results demonstrate the great potential that this unique addition to the electrochemical nanoscopy toolbox holds to access electron-transfer triggered (bio)molecular chemistry in situ with unprecedentedspatial and chemical resolution, for example, to unravel redox mechanisms of biophysical processes onthe few- to single-moiety level for sensing or molecular electronics applications.

[1] N. Martín Sabanés, L. Driessen, K.F. Domke Anal. Chem. 88 (2016) 7108.

[2] N. Martín Sabanés, K.F. Domke ChemElectroChem 4 (2017) 1814.

[3] N. Martín Sabanés, A. Elizabeth, J.H.K. Pfisterer, K.F. Domke Faraday Disc. 205 (2017) 233.

[4] N. Martín Sabanés, T. Ohto, D. Andrienko, Y. Nagata, K.F. Domke Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 56 (2017)9796 (VIP).