Optical autoionization resonance theory as an approach to electron transfer via adsorbed atoms at metal—solution interfaces

Abstract

Electron transfer between an ion in solution and an impurity atom adsorbed at a metal electrode is sometimes faster than direct electron transfer between an ion and a metal. This process displays close analogies to Fano autoionization resonances in atoms excited to formally bound states broadened by coupling to continuum states. On the basis of this analogy we have derived current—voltage relationships for electron transfer via adsorbed impurity atoms. The most striking effect is that the current passes through a maximum at overvoltages approximately coinciding with the nuclear reorganization enery, then drops, and rises again at still higher voltages. This pattern is quite different from that of direct electron transfer and is caused by the “interference” of metal and impurity wave functions in certain energy ranges. The effect is generally expected only for activationless process, i.e. for large overvoltages, where the current variation directly reflects the behaviour of the pre-exponential factor in the current expressions. The impurity level also modifies the Gibbs energy of nuclear activation due to the solvent configuration dependence of the electron density at the adatoms. This effect is commonly small and in contrast to the electronic structural effects, leads to smooth current-voltage relations.