Porous polymer networks (PPNs) are attractive materials for capacitive energy storage because they offer high surface areas for increased double-layer capacitance, open structures for rapid ion transport, and redox-active moieties that enable faradaic (pseudocapacitive) energy storage. Here we demonstrate a new attractive feature of PPNs--the ability of their reduced forms (radical anions and dianions) to interact with small radii cations through synergistic interactions arising from densely packed redox-active groups, only when prepared as thin films. When naphthalene diimides (NDIs) are incorporated into PPN films, the carbonyl groups of adjacent, electrochemically generated, NDI radical anions and dianions bind strongly to K(+), Li(+), and Mg(2+), shifting the formal potentials of NDI's second reduction by 120 and 460 mV for K(+) and Li(+)-based electrolytes, respectively. In the case of Mg(2+), NDI's two redox waves coalesce into a single two-electron process with shifts of 240 and 710 mV, for the first and second reductions, respectively, increasing the energy density by over 20 % without changing the polymer backbone. In contrast, the formal reduction potentials of NDI derivatives in solution are identical for each electrolyte, and this effect has not been reported for NDI previously. This study illustrates the profound influence of the solid-state structure of a polymer on its electrochemical response, which does not simply reflect the solution-phase redox behavior of its monomers.

The organothiol 4-mercaptopyridine (pyS) has been used extensively as facilitator for the assessment of heterogeneous electron transfer reaction of cytochrome c (cyt c). Its efficiency, however, is strongly affected by the instability of the adlayer due to the C-S bond cleavage. The K(4)[Ru(CN)(5)(pyS)].3H(2)O complex was synthesized and characterized aiming its utilization as an inorganic self-assembled monolayer (SAM) that would enhance the gold adlayer stability. The SAM formed by this complex onto gold (RupySAu) was characterized by spectroscopic (FTIRRAS and SERS) and electrochemical (LSV) techniques. The ex situ vibrational SERS and FTIRRAS spectra data of this SAM formed onto gold suggest a sigma interaction between the gold and sulfur atoms of the complex, inducing a perpendicular arrangement in relation to the surface normal. Additionally, SERS and FTIRRAS spectra performed for freshly prepared RupySAu adlayer and for large immersion times in the precursor solution have not shown any significant change that would reflect the degradation of the adlayer. The LSV desorption curves of this SAM indicate an enhancement in the C-S bond strength of the pyS ligand when coordinated to the [Ru(CN)(5)](3-) moiety. Comparatively to the data obtained for the desorption process of the pyS monolayer, the reductive desorption potential, E(rd), of the RupySAu presents a shift of -17 mV. This bond strength intensification leads to an increase in the stability of the monolayer. The voltammetric curves of cyt c carried out with the RupySAu electrode showed electrochemical parameters consistent with those reported for the native protein, as well as the maintenance of the electrochemical kinetic data after repetitive cycles. The results all together suggest that the pi back-bonding effect from the [Ru(CN)(5)](3-) metal center plays an important role in the stability of the RupySAu adlayer, improving the assessment of the cyt c heterogeneous electron transfer reaction.

Coordination compounds of copper have been invoked as major actors in processes involving the reduction of molecular oxygen, mostly with the generation of radical species the assignment for which has, so far, not been fully addressed. In the present work, we have carried out studies in solution and on surfaces to gain insights into the nature of the radical oxygen species (ROS) generated by a copper(II) coordination compound containing a thioether clip-phen derivative, 1,3-bis(1,10-phenanthrolin-2-yloxy)-N-(4-(methylthio)benzylidene)propan-2-amine (2CP-Bz-SMe), enabling its adsorption/immobilization to gold surfaces. Whereas surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and electrochemistry of the adsorbed complex indicated the formation of a dimeric Cu(I) intermediate containing molecular oxygen as a bridging ligand, scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) and nuclease assays pointed to the generation of a ROS species. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) data reinforced such conclusions, indicating that radical production was dependent on the amount of oxygen and H2 O2 , thus pointing to a mechanism involving a Fenton-like reaction that results in the production of OH(.) .

The self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) derived from thionicotinamide (TNA), thioisonicotinamide (iTNA), and 5-(4-pyridyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole-2-thiol (Hpyt) on gold have been characterized via surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) as a function of pH and applied potential. Density functional theory calculations performed on the molecule/metal interaction model reinforced the vibrational assignments of the SERS spectra. Despite the structural similarity, these compounds presented different behaviors depending on the pH and applied potential with the iTNA SAM being the most affected. Upon adsorption and at pH 6, Hpyt SAM is not protonated while TNA and iTNA SAMs are partially and completely protonated, respectively. The results presented herein, besides being helpful for the understanding of the formation of the SAMs, can shed light on the understanding of the different responses observed for the cytochrome c metalloprotein by using the SAMs derived from these molecules.

O composto 5-(4-pyridinyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole-2-thiol (Hpyt) adsorve espontaneamente sobre ouro formando SAMs ("Self-Assembled Monolayers") que, de acordo com os resultados eletroquímicos e de STM ("Scanning Tunneling Microscopy"), contêm poros através dos quais as moléculas dos complexos [Fe(CN) 6 ] 4-, a dependência da corrente faradáica com o pH da solução eletrolítica permitiu o cálculo do pKa da molécula de Hpyt adsorvida sobre ouro (4,2). Os parâmetros termodinâmicos, H ads and G ads , para o processo de adsorção desta molécula foram estimados em -20,01 e -39,39 kJ mol -1 , respectivamente, utilizando-se o modelo de Langmuir. O processo redox da metaloproteína citocromo c foi estudado utilizando-se a SAM de Hpyt. A constante de velocidade heterogênea de transferência de elétrons foi calculada em 2,29 10 -3 cm s -1 .5-(4-pyridinyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole-2-thiol (Hpyt) spontaneously adsorbs on gold forming SAMs (self-assembled monolayers) that, based on STM (Scanning Tunneling Microscopy) and electrochemical data, contain pinholes through which [Fe(CN) 6 ] 4-and [Ru(NH 3 ) 6 ] 3+ probe molecules access the underlying gold electrode. For the former molecule, the dependence of the faradaic current on the electrolyte solution pH value allowed the evaluation of the surface pKa as 4.2. The thermodynamic parameters H ads and G ads for the Hpyt adsorption process could be described by the Langmuir model and were calculated as -20.01 and -39.39 kJ mol -1 , respectively. Electrodic redox reaction of cytochrome c metalloprotein was accessed by using the Hpyt SAM with a heterogeneous electron transfer rate constant of 2.29 10 -3 cm s -1 .