The desorption of 2-mercaptoethanesulfonate (MES)
spontaneously adsorbed on Au(111) has been studied
by using both potential-step and voltammetric experiments. From
the amount of gold oxide formed during
the oxidation sweep in the fingerprint region it is shown that the
adsorption process induces structural
changes of the gold surface. It is also shown that together with
the reductive desorption of MES ions a
concomitant faradaic process occurs. The results suggest that this
process is connected to the reduction
of solvent on the structurally modified gold electrode. The
reductive desorption process of MES undergone
at more negative potentials is characterized by a single peak in the
voltammetric response and the presence
of a maximum in the chronoamperogram. It is shown that the
logarithm of the maximum current, the
time at which the maximum current appears, and the peak width at half
height depend linearly on potential.
An experimental protocol for the desorption/readsorption of MES
based on a potential-step experiment
followed by cyclic voltammetry is outlined as an appropriate tool to
analyze simultaneously the desorption
of adsorbed and readsorbed MES. A linear dependence between the
two desorption peak potentials and
the surface concentration of adsorbate was observed. Changes in
the environment surrounding the adsorbed
moities and in the potential of zero charge of the electrode are shown
to be the factors ruling this dependence.
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