Enhanced Oxidation of Aldohexose and Aldopentose on Hg Adatom-Modified Au Electrode in Alkaline Aqueous Solution

Abstract

The electrochemical behavior of aldohexose and aldopentose monosaccharides was examined on Hg adatom-modified and bare Au electrodes in alkaline aqueous solution using cyclic voltammetry. For the bare Au electrode, the oxidation peak currents are dependent on hydroxyl group configuration on the monosaccharides. On the other hand, for the Hg adatom-modified Au electrode, the actual oxidation peak currents were similar for all monosaccharides other than glucose. Dispersion of Hg adatoms on the Au surface led to diminishment of configurational differences between monosaccharides as well as enhancement of oxidation peak current.