Spectral signatures of the surface reconstructions of Au(110)/electrolyte interfaces

Abstract

It is demonstrated that the (1 × 1) structure and the (1 × 2) and (1 × 3) surface reconstructions that occur at Au(110)/electrolyte interfaces have unique optical fingerprints. The optical fingerprints are potential, pH and anion dependent and have potential for use in monitoring dynamic changes at this interface. We also observe a specific reflection anisotropy spectroscopy signature that may arise from anions adsorbed on the (1 × 1) structure of Au(110).

The influence of pH on the structure of adenine monolayers adsorbed at Au(110)/electrolyte interfaces

“…This variation in RAS profile is due to the sensitivity of the Au(110) surface to the pH of the electrolyte and it's propensity to alter surface structure to form different reconstructions. The complexity of this process will be discussed in detail in a future publication [14]. The RAS profile observed from adenine adsorbed from a solution of pH 7.1 is, as expected, almost identical to those obtained in the earlier studies [3,4].…”

Conformational change induced by electron transfer in a monolayer of cytochrome P450 reductase adsorbed at the Au(110)–phosphate buffer interface

“…A more significant difference between the two experiments was in the position of the origin of the RAS signal which was 1.2 × 10 −3 lower in the second experiment. This is an instrumental effect arising from slight differences of the order of minutes of arc in the alignment of the first polarizer [13]. These differences between the two experiments do not have a significant effect on the analysis that follows and were minimized by a scaling of the results obtained for the RAS profiles of the Au(110)-buffer interface in the two experiments.…”

“…The RAS profiles of Au(110)-electrolyte interfaces are sensitive to the potential applied to the Au electrode which has a strong influence on the morphology of Au(110) surfaces [10,[12][13][14][16][17][18][19]. The RAS profiles of the Au(110)-phosphate buffer interface ( Fig.…”

“…As the applied potential is made more positive the RAS profiles of Au(110)-electrolyte interfaces in some electrolytes first adopt a profile associated with the (1 × 1) surface structure and eventually one associated with a (1 × 1) anion induced structure resulting from the adsorption of anions [13,14]. The RAS profile observed at 0.056 V is very similar to that observed from an anion induced (1 × 1) Au(110) surface structure [13,14].…”

“…In two experiments, five months apart, Au(110)-phosphate buffer interfaces were prepared by flame annealing of a Au(110) crystal [12][13][14]. In each experiment the RAS profile of the Au(110)-phosphate buffer interface was first recorded for each of the redox potentials of P499C in solution; 0.056, −0.376, −0.465, −0.557, and −0.652 V [6].…”