The adsorption of imidazole on a roughened polycrystalline iron electrode was investigated by the SERS technique at pH values of neutral, 11 and 14 and compared with those from each solution. The results indicated that imidazole was adsorbed as mainly the neutral form and/or a certain amount of ylide form on the Fe surface in a neutral solution. The molecules have maximum adsorption at −0.9 V potential with tilted or perpendicular orientation with respect to the Fe surface, whereas a face-on orientation of imidazole was favored at both more cathodic and anodic potentials. In a weaker basic solution imidazole was also adsorbed on the Fe surface as the neutral form, and took a face-on orientation with respect to the Fe surface at all measured potentials because of its weaker adsorption than that in a neutral solution. Neutral and anionic forms of imidazole on the Fe surface were indicated by SERS at pH 14.
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