The ability of copper to catalyze the electrochemical reduction of CO 2 has been shown to greatly depend on its nanoscale surface morphology. While previous studies found evidence of irreversible changes of copper nanoparticle and thin film electrodes following electrolysis, we present here the first observation of the reversible reconstruction of electrocatalytic copper surfaces induced by the adsorbed CO intermediate. Using attenuated total internal reflection infrared and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopies, the reversible formation of nanoscale metal clusters on the electrode is revealed by the appearance of a new CO absorption band characteristic of CO bound to undercoordinated copper atoms and by the strong enhancement of the surface-enhanced Raman effect. Our study shows that the morphology of the catalytic copper surface is not static but dynamically adapts with changing reaction conditions.

Electrocatalysis is central to the production of renewable fuels and high-value commodity chemicals. The electrolyte and the electrode together determine the catalytic properties of the liquid/solid interface. In particular, the cations of the electrolyte can greatly change the rates and reaction selectivity of many electrocatalytic processes. For this reason, the careful choice of the cation is an essential step in the design of catalytic interfaces with high selectivity for desired high-value products. To make such a judicious choice, it is critical to understand where in the electric double layer the cations reside and the various distinct mechanistic impacts they can have on the electrocatalytic process of interest. In this perspective, we review recent advances in the understanding of the electric double layer with a particular focus on the interfacial distribution of cations and the cations’ hydration states in the vicinity of the electrode under various experimental conditions. Furthermore, we summarize the different ways in which cations can alter the rates and selectivity of chemical processes at electrified interfaces and identify possible future areas of research in this field.

Surface-adsorbed CO is generally considered a reactive on-pathway intermediate in the aqueous electrochemical reduction of CO2 on Cu electrodes. Though CO can bind to a variety of adsorption sites (e.g., atop or bridge), spectroscopic studies of the Cu/electrolyte contact have mostly been concerned with atop-bound CO. Using surface-selective infrared (IR) spectroscopy, we have investigated the reactivities and coverages of atop- and bridge-bound CO on a polycrystalline Cu electrode in contact with alkaline electrolytes. We show here that (1) a fraction of atop-bound CO converts to bridge-bonded CO when the total CO coverage drops below the saturation coverage and (2) unlike atop-bound CO, bridge-bonded CO is an unreactive species that is not reduced at a potential of −1.75 V vs SHE. Our results suggest that bridge-bonded CO is not an on-pathway intermediate in CO reduction. Using density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we further reveal that the activation barrier for the hydrogenation of bridge-bonded CO to surface-adsorbed formyl on Cu(100) is higher than that of the reduction of atop-bound CO, in qualitative agreement with our experimental findings. The possible modulation of the catalytic properties of the interface by the electrochemically inert bridge-bonded CO population should be considered in future studies involving CO2 or CO reduction on Cu under alkaline conditions.

Elucidating the underlying molecular mechanisms of protein folding and function is a very exciting and active research area, but poses significant challenges. This is due in part to the fact that existing experimental techniques are incapable of capturing snapshots along the ‘reaction coordinate’ in question with both sufficient spatial and temporal resolutions. In this regard, recent years have seen increased interests and efforts in development and employment of site-specific probes to enhance the structural sensitivity of spectroscopic techniques in conformational and dynamical studies of biological molecules. In particular, the spectroscopic and chemical properties of nitriles, thiocyanates, and azides render these groups attractive for the interrogation of complex biochemical constructs and processes. Here, we review their signatures in vibrational, fluorescence and NMR spectra and their utility in the context of elucidating chemical structure and dynamics of protein and DNA molecules.

The product selectivity of many heterogeneous electrocatalytic processes is profoundly affected by the liquid side of the electrocatalytic interface. The electrocatalytic reduction of CO to hydrocarbons on Cu electrodes is a prototypical example of such a process. However, probing the interactions of surface-bound intermediates with their liquid reaction environment poses a formidable experimental challenge. As a result, the molecular origins of the dependence of the product selectivity on the characteristics of the electrolyte are still poorly understood. Herein, we examined the chemical and electrostatic interactions of surfaceadsorbed CO with its liquid reaction environment. Using a series of quaternary alkyl ammonium cations (methyl 4 N + , ethyl 4 N + , propyl 4 N + , and butyl 4 N + ), we systematically tuned the properties of this environment. With differential electrochemical mass spectrometry (DEMS), we show that ethylene is produced in the presence of methyl 4 N + and ethyl 4 N + cations, whereas this product is not synthesized in propyl 4 N + -and butyl 4 N + -containing electrolytes. Surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (SEIRAS) reveals that the cations do not block CO adsorption sites and that the cation-dependent interfacial electric field is too small to account for the observed changes in selectivity. However, SEIRAS shows that an intermolecular interaction between surface-adsorbed CO and interfacial water is disrupted in the presence of the two larger cations. This observation suggests that this interaction promotes the hydrogenation of surface-bound CO to ethylene. Our study provides a critical molecular-level insight into how interactions of surface species with the liquid reaction environment control the selectivity of this complex electrocatalytic process.hydrogen bonding | cation effects | electrocatalysis | carbon dioxide reduction | catalytic selectivity T he reaction environment profoundly impacts the kinetics of many chemical processes. Examples include the influence of the solvating environment on the rates of electron transfer (1), isomerization (2), peptide folding (3), and organic reactions (4), as well as the sensitivity of enzymatic catalysis to changes in the molecular structure of the active site (5). For a chemical process that can lead to multiple reaction products, solvent effects can impact the relative rates of product formation and therefore the product selectivity (6, 7). These effects, which can have complex energetic and/or dynamical origins (1,8,9), are fundamentally rooted in intermolecular interactions between the reactants and their environment. In the context of heterogeneous electrocatalysis, the reaction environment is asymmetric; i.e., reactants at the electrochemical interface are interacting with the solid electrode and the liquid electrolyte. Understanding the interactions of intermediates with their interfacial environment is essential for controlling the reaction paths of electrocatalytic processes that exhibit poor product selectivity.The reduc...

AppA is a blue-light and redox-responding regulator of photosynthesis gene expression in Rhodobacter sphaeroides. Detailed time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy and subpicosecond transient absorption spectroscopy study of the BLUF domain is presented for wild-type AppA (AppAwt) and a photoinactive Y21F mutant of AppA. The main findings discussed here are that (1) time-resolved laser excitation studies on dark-adapted protein show that AppAwt and Y21F mutant protein exhibits a fluorescence decay with a lifetime of 0.6 ns. Dark-adapted AppAwt but not Y21F also exhibits slower fluorescence decay with a lifetime of 1.7 ns. Analysis of AppAwt that was light-excited to a stable light-adapted form prior to data collection shows monoexponential fluorescence decay with a lifetime of 1.0 ns. This component disappeared after 1 min of data collection after which the original "dark-adapted" values were recovered, demonstrating the presence of a approximately 1 min lifetime intermediate during the return of AppA from light- to dark-adapted form. (2) Transient absorption spectral analysis reveals a very fast rising of transient absorption (<1 ps) for AppAwt. This fast component is missing in the Y21F mutant, which lacks Tyr21, giving rise to a slower transient absorption at 4-6 ps. In the AppAwt transient spectra, most ground states recover within approximately 30 ps, compared to approximately 90-130 ps in the mutant Y21F. We propose that a temporary electron transfer occurs from Tyr21 to the N5 of flavin in AppAwt and is a triggering event for subsequent hydrogen-bond rearrangements. Dynamics of the AppA photocycle is discussed in view of the currently solved crystallographic structure of AppA.

Macromolecular crowding is one of the key characteristics of the cellular environment and therefore, is intimately coupled to the process of protein folding in vivo. While previous studies have provided invaluable insight into the effect of crowding on the stability and folding rate of protein tertiary structures, very little is known about how crowding affects protein folding dynamics at the secondary structure level. Herein, we examine the thermal stability and folding-unfolding kinetics of three small folding motifs, i.e., a 34-residue α-helix, a 34-residue cross-linked helix-turn-helix, and a 16-residue β hairpin, in the presence of two commonly used crowding agents, Dextran 70 (200 g/L) and Ficoll 70 (200 g/L). We find that these polymers do not induce any appreciable changes in the folding kinetics of the two helical peptides, which is somewhat surprising as the helix-coil transition kinetics have been shown to depend on viscosity. Also to our surprise and in contrast to what has been observed for larger proteins, we find that crowding leads to an appreciable decrease in the folding rate of the shortest β-hairpin peptide, indicating that besides the excluded volume effect, other factors also need to be considered when evaluating the net effect of crowding on protein folding kinetics. A model considering both the static and dynamic effects arising from the presence of the crowding agent is proposed to rationalize these results.

The catalytic selectivity and reactivity of an electrocatalytic interface can profoundly depend on the identity of the supporting electrolyte's cation. In the case of CO reduction on copper electrodes, these cation effects have been utilized to suppress undesired hydrogen evolution and to promote the formation of C reduction products. However, to more effectively steer the catalytic selectivity of the electrolyte/copper interface by cations, it is crucial to reveal the various physical mechanisms by which cations impact the catalytic properties of this prototypical interface for CO reduction. Herein, we employ surface-sensitive infrared spectroscopy to probe how alkali cations (Li, K, and Cs) control the coverage of CO, a key intermediate in CO reduction, on a polycrystalline copper electrode. We find that surface-adsorbed CO experiences an increasingly larger interfacial electric field with increasing cation size. The reduction of CO is further promoted by the two larger cations, leading to a significant drop of the CO coverage at high cathodic potential around -1 V vs. RHE. Our results demonstrate for the first time that the coverage of CO on the electrode is very sensitive to the identity of the cation. Since the relative coverage of CO and hydrogen on the copper surface affects the catalytic rates of CO reduction and hydrogen evolution, our results represent an essential step towards a better understanding of how cation effects control the product distribution.