Surface-enhanced Infrared Absorption Spectroscopy Research Articles

Surface (Electro)chemistry of CO2 on Pt Surface: An in Situ Surface-Enhanced Infrared Absorption Spectroscopy Study

Understanding the surface (electro)chemistry of CO2 and CO on Pt is needed to design active, selective catalysts for CO-tolerant fuel cell reactions and CO2 reduction. In this work, the surface reactivity of Pt in a CO2-saturated alkaline electrolyte was revealed by combining in situ surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (SEIRAS) with density functional theory (DFT) calculations. We show that during potential cycling in 1 M KHCO3 electrolyte, CO adsorbates (COad), more specifically, COad surrounded by OH adsorbates (OHad), with linear or bridged configuration, were produced through the reductive adsorption of HCO3– catalyzed by H adsorbates on Pt. The COad coadsorbed with OHad was oxidized to COOHad at potentials as low as ∼0.3 VRHE, which was further oxidized to CO2 at 0.9 VRHE and higher. Further analysis suggests that the proximity between COad and OHad is key to trigger the conversion reaction from COad to CO2 through forming COOHad intermediate at room temperature. The details about how P...

In Situ Surface-Enhanced Infrared Absorption Spectroscopy of Aqueous Molecules with Facile-Prepared Large-Area Reduced Graphene Oxide Island Film.

Midinfrared plasmons in patterned graphene could advance the development of surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (SEIRAS). However, limitation in measuring the extinction spectra with transmission and external reflection configurations greatly restricts the analyses of aqueous samples. In addition, complicated, time- and cost-consuming preparation of patterned graphene also limits its progress. Here we demonstrate a facile-prepared large-scale reduced graphene oxide island film on a total internal reflection silicon prism, which not only shows a prominent enhancement effect in mid-infrared region but also effectively eliminates the contribution of bulk solution by optical near-field effect. As a result, the entire vibrational fingerprints of methylene blue monolayer in aqueous solution can be acquired with high sensitivity in real time. Our work extends the application of graphene-based SEIRAS to aqueous environment, breaking through previously unattainable technology.

(Invited) A Surface Enhanced Infrared Absorption Spectroscopy Study on the Nitrogen Electrochemical Reduction Reaction on Gold Surfaces

Ammonia has received much attention as a potential energy storage medium and an alternative fuel for vehicles, in addition to its use as a kind of fertilizer. Recent studies showed that ammonia could be produced by N2 and H2O through an electrochemical method, with the advantages of zero CO2 emission and energy saving compared with the “Haber-Bosch” process.1-2 However, as the theoretical potentials of hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) are very close, H2 is the dominant product due to the much fast reaction kinetics of the former. For this reason, the experimental studies on NRR mechanism are rather rare. In this study, the NRR mechanism on Au surfaces was first studied by surface enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (SEIRAS) technique. Au was selected as its excellent NRR activity but low HER activity.3-4 An Au nanofilm deposited on the Si prism by a chemical deposition method was used as the working electrode. Its cyclic voltammograms (CV) in a N2 saturated KOH solution is shown in Figure 1a. In the 1st segment (cathodic scan, solid red line), the reduction current resulting from the HER and NRR appeared at 0 V and arose sharply starting at -0.1 V. Figure 1b is the corresponding FTIR spectra of the 1st segment in Figure 1a. The bands at 3300 cm-1 and 1645 cm-1 attribute to the O-H stretching and H-O-H bending of water molecules. Those bands intensity increase significantly as a result of the change in the adsorption configuration of water molecules upon decreasing the potential. The bands at 1450 cm-1, 1298 cm-1 and 1109 cm-1 attribute to the H-N-H bending, -NH2 wagging and N-N stretching of adsorbed N2Hy species, respectively. Those bands started to appear at potentials below 0 V and increased with potential decreasing. This result indicates that the nitrogen reduction reaction on Au surfaces follows an associative mechanism, and the N≡N bonds in N2 tend to break simultaneously with the hydrogen addition. Similar spectroscopic studies on Pt surfaces will be also discussed. Figure 1. a) Cyclic voltammograms of an Au film electrode deposited on the Si prism in a N2-saturated 0.1M KOH aqueous solution; potential scan rate: 2.5 mV s-1. b) FTIR spectra during the 1st segment from 0.4 V to -0.5 V on the Au film electrode in a N2-saturaed 0.1 M KOH solution. The reference spectrum was taken at 0.4 V. References Lan, R.; Irvine, J. T. S.; Tao, S. W. Sci Rep 2013, 3, 1145..Renner, J. N., Greenlee, L. F., Ayres, K. E., Herring, A. M. The Electrochemical Society Interface 2015, 24, 7, 51-57.Bao, D.; Zhang, Q.; Meng, F. L.; Zhong, H. X.; Shi, M. M.; Zhang, Y.; Yan, J. M.; Jiang, Q.; Zhang, X. B. Adv. Mater. 2017, 29, 1604799.Shi, M. M.; Bao, D.; Wulan, B. R.; Li, Y. H.; Zhang, Y. F.; Yan, J. M.; Jiang, Q. Adv. Mater. 2017, 29, 1606550. Figure 1

The Influence of Water on the Double-Layer Capacitance of an Ionic Liquid

Solvent-free electrolytes, room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) have properties in between solid electrolytes and electrolyte solutions with a number of potential applications in electrochemical systems. One of their main advantages is their large potential window, in some cases 4.5-6V 1,2. The presence of impurities, water in particular, may reduce the width of this potential window. The adsorption of water at electrodes has only recently been investigated theoretically3 and experimentally2,4. Feng et al. studied humid imidazolium-based ionic liquids and the adsorption of water at a carbon-like electrode using molecular dynamics simulations3. They found that the adsorption of water increases with potential and that the electrosorption effect is stronger at potentials positive of the potential of zero charge (p.z.c.), due to the stronger interaction of water with the anions. Motobayahsi and Osawa used Surface Enhanced Infrared Absorption Spectroscopy (SEIRAS) as a tool to detect the presence of water in the electrochemical double layer (ECDL) of a humid imidazolium-based RTIL at an Au electrode 4. They confirmed that water accumulates at the electrode even at low concentrations and that the adsorption is more pronounced at potentials positive of the p.z.c.. In this study we employ electrochemical impedance spectroscopy to determine the electrochemical double layer capacity CDL of 1-butyl-1-methy-pyrrolidinium bis[(trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl]imide (PyrTFSI) in contact with an Au(111) electrode. The water content of PyrTFSI is carefully adjusted and monitored from very dry (from 1.4 water molecules for 1000 RTIL anions (1000 : 1.4) to 1000 : 87.4). Recorded Nyquist spectra are fitted to three equivalent circuits and we give a detailed physical explanation for the single circuit elements. Electrochemical Scanning Tunnelling Microscopy is used to monitor the Au(111) surface to ensure that the electrode does not change during the electrochemical measurements. Our experimentally obtained CDL vs. potential curves are compared to curves calculated by mean-field theory (Fig. 1). Together, experiment and theory yield a conclusive understanding of the influence of water on the electrode-RTIL interface: 1.Our results show potential-dependent agglomeration of water in the ECDL, as found by AFM 4; 2.Theoretical predictions regarding the sensitivity of CDL of RTILs towards water are confirmed 3; 3.Theoretical tools such as mean-field theory calculations with the compacity parameter γ of RTILs 5 are shown to be able to reproduce experimental data. From the parameters used in the calculation properties of RTILs, like the preferred interaction of water with anions, can be deducted. (1) Buzzeo, M. C.; Hardacre, C.; Compton, R. G. ChemPhysChem 2006, 7 (1), 176–180. (2) Friedl, J.; Markovits, I. I. E.; Herpich, M.; Feng, G.; Kornyshev, A. A.; Stimming, U. ChemElectroChem 2016, 71 (111), 311–315. (3) Feng, G.; Jiang, X.; Qiao, R.; Kornyshev, A. A. ACS Nano 2014, 8 (11), 11685–11694. (4) Motobayashi, K.; Osawa, M. Electrochem. commun. 2016, 65, 14–17. (5) Kornyshev, A. A. J. Phys. Chem. B 2007, 111 (20), 5545–5557. Figure 1: (left) Normalized double layer capacitance over potential of 1-butyl-1- methyl-pyrrolidinium bis[(trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl]imide with various contents of water obtained from electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. (right) Double layer capacitance over potential calculated from mean field theory with the driest ionic liquid in red and the wettest in teal. with Graph adapted from 2 . Figure 1

Ammonia Oxidation Reaction Mechanism on Pt-Ir Alloys: A Surface Enhanced Infrared Absorption Spectroscopy Study

Energy and environment are two of the most primary concerns of this century, thus leading to holistic research across numerous disciplines.1 Ammonia electro-oxidation reaction (AOR) is extremely crucial with regards to energy and environment as it holds spotlight in several fields such as wastewater remediation, analytical chemistry and as a source of renewable energy in direct ammonia fuel cells. In addition, AOR is also useful by being the producer of hydrogen via electrolysis.2 Ammonia has a greater promise compared to other compounds like ethanol and methanol due to its carbon-free nature, well-defined production, storage and transportation network and no net increase in carbon dioxide content of the environment.3 However, inadequate performance due to slow kinetics and expensive nature of electrocatalysts have impeded the utilization of ammonia oxidation technology on a large scale. Consequently, large amount of efforts have been put over the years to understand the mechanism properly which can assist in developing highly active and stable electrocatalysts. In this study, a powerful in-situ surface enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (SEIRAS) technique with the attenuated total reflection (ATR) was used to examine the mechanism and intermediates over Pt-Ir nanofilm deposited on a silicon hemispherical prism. Pt-Ir was chosen as it is the most promising alloy as electrocatalyst for AOR till date. Intermediates such as NO at 1478-1488 cm-1 previously found over Pt electrode6 and NO2 at 1331 cm-1 earlier found with CeO2-modified platinum catalyst7 were also observed in this study with Pt-Ir, thus establishing their presence at higher potential range. Most importantly, a weak band at 2140 cm-1 representing azide intermediate was also observed for the 1st time using FTIR, previously only seen using in-situ Raman spectroscopy.8 This work, confirming azide intermediate presence at higher potential and affirming the NO and NO2 for Pt-Ir too, provided much clearer understanding of the mechanism and intermediates within the most renowned Gerischer and Mauerer framework, henceforth opening pathway for further efficient AOR electrocatalyst design in future. Fig 1. Time-resolved IR spectra of the Pt-Ir nanofilm acquired simultaneously with the linear sweep voltammogram in 0.2 M NH3-10mM PBS buffer solution (pH 6.96). The reference spectrum was taken at 0.1V. References Liu, J., Liu, B., Ni, Z., Deng, Y., Zhong, C., & Hu, W., Electrochimica Acta 2014, 150, 146-150.Diaz, L. A., Valenzuela-Muñiz, A., Muthuvel, M., & Botte, G. G., Electrochimica Acta 2013, 89, 413-421.Zhong, C., Hu ,W. B., and Cheng Y. F., Journal of Materials Chemistry A 2013, 10, 3216-3238.Vitse, Frederic, Cooper, M., and Botte, G. G., Journal of Power Sources 2005, 1, 18-26.Satyapal, Sunita, et al. Catalysis Today 2007, 3, 246-256.Matsui, T., Suzuki, S., Katayama, Y., Yamauchi, K., Okanishi, T., Muroyama, H., and Eguchi, K.. Langmuir 2015, 31, 11717-11723.Katayama, Y., Okanishi, T., Muroyama, H., Matsui, T., and Eguchi, K., ACS Catalysis 2016, 3, 2026-2034.Vidal-Iglesias, F. J., Solla-Gullón, J., Pérez, J. M., and Aldaz, A.. Electrochemistry Communications 2006, 8, 102-106. Figure 1

(Invited) Impacts of Anions on Oxygen Reduction Reaction Kinetics on Platinum and Palladium Surfaces

Fundamental understandings on the impacts induced by anions and cations on oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) are of great interest in designing more efficient catalysts and identifying reasons for discrepancies in activities measured in different protocols. In this study, the specific adsorption of F-, Cl-, ClO4 -, CO3 2-, SO4 2-, Nafion ionomer, and citrate anions on Pt/C, Pd/C and transition metal, N co-doped carbon-based (Me-N-C) catalysts, and their effects on the ORR kinetics were systematically investigated. It was found that ClO4 - had a negligible impact on the ORR activity of Pt/C possibly due to its weak adsorption. Nafion ionomers, on the other hand showed a significant poisoning effect on the bulk Pt electrode. Its impact on Pt/C, however is negligible even with a very high I/C ratio (1.33) in acidic solutions. The three catalysts showed different behaviors in alkaline solutions. The non-covalent interaction between hydrated cations and surface OH groups was found on Pt/C and had an obvious impact on the ORR kinetics. This non-covalent interaction, however was not observed on Pd/C, which showed the same ORR activity in all three electrolytes (LiOH, NaOH and KOH). The ORR activity of Me-N-C increased following the order of KOH < NaOH < LiOH. This trend is totally opposite to that of Pt/C. Self-dissociation of citrate anion was found to occur on both Pt/C and Pd/C in the H adsorption/desorption and double layer regions. For the first time, surface enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (SEIRAS) with the attenuated total reflection (ATR) technique was used to investigate the self-dissociation of citrate on Pt and Pd thin film electrodes. The break of carboxylic groups and carbon backbone were proposed as possible dissociation pathways for citrate. The adsorbed species have a negligible effect on ORR activity on Pt/C as they are removed by oxidation before 0.75 V. In contrast, their oxidation on Pd/C surfaces is not completed until 0.91 V, which causes a lower ORR activity observed in rotating disk electrode measurements.

Examination of Near-Electrode Concentration Gradients and Kinetic Impacts on the Electrochemical Reduction of CO2 using Surface-Enhanced Infrared Spectroscopy

Localized concentration gradients within the electrochemical double layer during various electrochemical processes can have wide-ranging impacts; however, experimental investigation to quantitatively correlate the rate of surface-mediated electrochemical reaction with the interfacial species concentrations has historically been lacking. In this work, we demonstrate a spectroscopic method for the in situ determination of the surface pH using the CO2 reduction reaction as a model system. Attenuated total reflectance surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy is employed to monitor the ratio of vibrational bands of carbonate and bicarbonate as a function of electrode potential. Integrated areas of vibrational bands are then compared with those obtained from calibration spectra collected in electrolytes with known pH values to determine near-electrode proton concentrations. Experimentally determined interfacial proton concentrations are then related to the resultant concentration overpotentials to exam...

Catalytic Activity and Proton Translocation of Reconstituted Respiratory Complex I Monitored by Surface-Enhanced Infrared Absorption Spectroscopy.

Respiratory complex I (CpI) is a key player in the way organisms obtain energy, being an energy transducer, which couples nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH)/quinone oxidoreduction with proton translocation by a mechanism that remains elusive so far. In this work, we monitored the function of CpI in a biomimetic, supported lipid membrane system assembled on a 4-aminothiophenol (4-ATP) self-assembled monolayer by surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy. 4-ATP serves not only as a linker molecule to a nanostructured gold surface but also as pH sensor, as indicated by concomitant density functional theory calculations. In this way, we were able to monitor NADH/quinone oxidoreduction-induced transmembrane proton translocation via the protonation state of 4-ATP, depending on the net orientation of CpI molecules induced by two complementary approaches. An associated change of the amide I/amide II band intensity ratio indicates conformational modifications upon catalysis which may involve movements of transmembrane helices or other secondary structural elements, as suggested in the literature [ Di Luca , Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. , 2017 , 114 , E6314 - E6321 ].

The Controversial Orientation of Adenine on Gold and Silver.

In which orientation does adenine adsorb on gold and silver surfaces? This question has been a matter of debate for over 30 years. Since the dawn of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS); it and other techniques such as tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS), surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (SEIRAS), scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), density functional theory (DFT) simulations, and more, have been used in many attempts to answer this seemingly straightforward, yet controversial, question. Herein, the timeline and recent advances on this topic are explored, and the frequently contradictory findings are put into context and discussed.

High-Contrast Infrared Absorption Spectroscopy via Mass-Produced Coaxial Zero-Mode Resonators with Sub-10 nm Gaps.

We present a wafer-scale array of resonant coaxial nanoapertures as a practical platform for surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (SEIRA). Coaxial nanoapertures with sub-10 nm gaps are fabricated via photolithography, atomic layer deposition of a sacrificial Al2O3 layer to define the nanogaps, and planarization via glancing-angle ion milling. At the zeroth-order Fabry-Pérot resonance condition, our coaxial apertures act as a "zero-mode resonator (ZMR)", efficiently funneling as much as 34% of incident infrared (IR) light along 10 nm annular gaps. After removing Al2O3 in the gaps and inserting silk protein, we can couple the intense optical fields of the annular nanogap into the vibrational modes of protein molecules. From 7 nm gap ZMR devices coated with a 5 nm thick silk protein film, we observe high-contrast IR absorbance signals drastically suppressing 58% of the transmitted light and infer a strong IR absorption enhancement factor of 104∼105. These single nanometer gap ZMR devices can be mass-produced via batch processing and offer promising routes for broad applications of SEIRA.

Ion beam sputtering deposition of silver nanoparticles and TiOx/ZnO nanocomposites for use in surface enhanced vibrational spectroscopy (SERS and SEIRAS)

Hybrids consisting of silver nanoparticles (in varying fractions) and of TiOx/ZnO were prepared via top-down ion beam sputtering (IBS) deposition on silicon substrates. The deposited nanomaterials were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. It is shown that such composites represent a viable substrate for use in both surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) and surface enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (SEIRAS), as exemplarily shown for crystal violet as the model analyte. The C-H bending mode at about 1181cm-1 and the C-N vibration at 1361cm-1 observed in the SERS and SEIRAS spectra, respectively, have been used as analytical signal. The substrate consisting of TiOx NPs with 33% fraction of silver provides the strongest enhancement in SERS (up to 10,000-fold), while TiOx/AgNPs with thickness of 2 and 1nm in ion beam sputtering, respectively, provides the best sensitivity in SEIRAS. The substrates also display photocatalytic activity as shown by the degradation of adsorbed crystal violet under ultraviolet irradiation. Graphical abstract Schematic of the preparation of hybrid substrates consisting of Ag and TiOx/ZnO nanoparticles via ion beam sputtering deposition. They were applied in both surface enhanced Raman and surface enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopies using crystal violet as model analyte, showing enhancements up to >10,000-fold in Raman.

Monitoring the Orientational Changes of Alamethicin during Incorporation into Bilayer Lipid Membranes.

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are the first line of defense after contact of an infectious invader, for example, bacterium or virus, with a host and an integral part of the innate immune system of humans. Their broad spectrum of biological functions ranges from cell membrane disruption over facilitation of chemotaxis to interaction with membrane-bound or intracellular receptors, thus providing novel strategies to overcome bacterial resistances. Especially, the clarification of the mechanisms and dynamics of AMP incorporation into bacterial membranes is of high interest, and different mechanistic models are still under discussion. In this work, we studied the incorporation of the peptaibol alamethicin (ALM) into tethered bilayer lipid membranes on electrodes in combination with surface-enhanced infrared absorption (SEIRA) spectroscopy. This approach allows monitoring the spontaneous and potential-induced ion channel formation of ALM in situ. The complex incorporation kinetics revealed a multistep mechanism that points to peptide-peptide interactions prior to penetrating the membrane and adopting the transmembrane configuration. On the basis of the anisotropy of the backbone amide I and II infrared absorptions determined by density functional theory calculations, we employed a mathematical model to evaluate ALM reorientations monitored by SEIRA spectroscopy. Accordingly, ALM was found to adopt inclination angles of ca. 69°-78° and 21° in its interfacially adsorbed and transmembrane incorporated states, respectively. These orientations can be stabilized efficiently by the dipolar interaction with lipid head groups or by the application of a potential gradient. The presented potential-controlled mechanistic study suggests an N-terminal integration of ALM into membranes as monomers or parallel oligomers to form ion channels composed of parallel-oriented helices, whereas antiparallel oligomers are barred from intrusion.

A Spectroscopic Study on the Nitrogen Electrochemical Reduction Reaction on Gold and Platinum Surfaces.

The electrochemical reduction of nitrogen to ammonia on Au-based catalysts showed a reasonably high Coulombic efficiency. The pathway of this promising reaction, however, is not clear partially due to the lack of information on reaction intermediates. Herein, surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (SEIRAS) was employed to study the reaction mechanisms of nitrogen reduction on an Au thin film for the first time. During the nitrogen reduction, the N2Hy species was detected with bands at 1453 (H-N-H bending), 1298 (-NH2 wagging), and 1109 cm-1 (N-N stretching) at potentials below 0 V against reversible hydrogen electrode. This result indicates that the nitrogen reduction reaction on Au surfaces follows an associative mechanism, and the N≡N bond in N2 tends to break simultaneously with the hydrogen addition. By comparison, no absorption band associated with N was observed on Pt surfaces under the same reaction condition. This result is consistent with the low efficiency of nitrogen reduction on Pt due to the much faster kinetics of hydrogen evolution reaction.

Electrosynthesized MIPs for transferrin: Plastibodies or nano-filters?

Molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) nanofilms for transferrin (Trf) have been synthesized on gold surfaces by electro-polymerizing the functional monomer scopoletin in the presence of the protein target or around pre-adsorbed Trf. As determined by atomic force microscopy (AFM) the film thickness was comparable with the molecular dimension of the target. The target (re)binding properties of the electro-synthesized MIP films was evaluated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and square wave voltammetry (SWV) through the target-binding induced permeability changes of the MIP nanofilms to the ferricyanide redox marker, as well as by surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and surface enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (SEIRAS) of the immobilized protein molecules. For Trf a linear concentration dependence in the lower micromolar range and an imprinting factor of ~5 was obtained by SWV and SPR. Furthermore, non-target proteins including the iron-free apo-Trf were discriminated by pronounced size and shape specificity. Whilst it is generally assumed that the rebinding of the target or of cross-reacting proteins exclusively takes place at the polymer here we considered also the interaction of the protein molecules with the underlying gold transducers. We demonstrate by SWV that adsorption of proteins suppresses the signal of the redox marker even at the bare gold surface and by SEIRAS that the treatment of the MIP with proteinase K or NaOH only partially removes the target protein. Therefore, we conclude that when interpreting binding of proteins to directly MIP-covered gold electrodes the interactions between the protein and the gold surface should also be considered.

Multianalytical approach for surface- and tip-enhanced infrared spectroscopy study of a molecule-metal conjugate: deducing its adsorption geometry.

This study presents a multianalytical approach for surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (SEIRA) and tip-enhanced infrared nanospectroscopy (TEIRA) studies of the α-methyl-dl-tryptophan adsorption geometry on a gold nanoparticle surface. Comparison of SEIRA spectra obtained in the transmission, attenuated total reflection and reflection modes verified the reproducibility of the adsorption. The application of the AutoSeagull (Harrick Scientific) accessory enabled us to track the dependence of the incident angle on the relative band intensity in the same area of the sample. Furthermore, the effect of two polarization modulations (p and s) in TEIRA was examined to deduce the adsorption geometry and to better understand the molecule/metal interaction. The nanogap between a gold-coated atomic force microscopy (AFM) tip and the gold surface induced electromagnetic enhancement in the optical field intensity. This is associated with the additional near-field electromagnetic field trapping effect. The local field intensity reinforcement significantly increased the infrared absorption cross-section of the compound under the tip with simultaneous improvement in spatial resolution. The originality of this study lies in the combination of various measurement modes and incident angles in SEIRA and two orthogonal polarizations in TEIRA to provide comprehensive characterization of the adsorption phenomenon. The results give important insights into tracking subtle changes in molecule geometry upon adsorption.

Effect of the Side-Chain Structure of Perfluoro-Sulfonic Acid Ionomers on the Oxygen Reduction Reaction on the Surface of Pt

The effect of side-chain structures in perfluoro-sulfonic acid ionomers on the adsorption of the terminal sulfonate moiety on the surface of Pt is investigated with voltammetry and surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (SEIRAS). Analyses with low-molecular-weight model anions with and without an ether group in the perfluoro-alkyl chain indicate that the anions are adsorbed on Pt through one or two oxygen atom(s) of the terminal sulfonate group and that the oxygen atom of the ether group also interacts with the Pt surface, leading to stronger adsorption of the anions with an ether group. On the basis of the results obtained with the model anions, the adsorption of the terminal sulfonate moieties in perfluorinated sulfonic acid ionomers and its effect on oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is discussed. It is shown that the ionomers having longer side chains more strongly block ORR due to the flexibility of the side chains.

Boron nitride nanoresonators for phonon-enhanced molecular vibrational spectroscopy at the strong coupling limit

Enhanced light-matter interactions are the basis of surface-enhanced infrared absorption (SEIRA) spectroscopy, and conventionally rely on plasmonic materials and their capability to focus light to nanoscale spot sizes. Phonon polariton nanoresonators made of polar crystals could represent an interesting alternative, since they exhibit large quality factors, which go far beyond those of their plasmonic counterparts. The recent emergence of van der Waals crystals enables the fabrication of high-quality nanophotonic resonators based on phonon polaritons, as reported for the prototypical infrared-phononic material hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN). In this work we use, for the first time, phonon-polariton-resonant h-BN ribbons for SEIRA spectroscopy of small amounts of organic molecules in Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Strikingly, the interaction between phonon polaritons and molecular vibrations reaches experimentally the onset of the strong coupling regime, while numerical simulations predict that vibrational strong coupling can be fully achieved. Phonon polariton nanoresonators thus could become a viable platform for sensing, local control of chemical reactivity and infrared quantum cavity optics experiments.

Highly doped semiconductor plasmonic nanoantenna arrays for polarization selective broadband surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy of vanillin

AbstractTailored plasmonic nanoantennas are needed for diverse applications, among those sensing. Surface-enhanced infrared absorption (SEIRA) spectroscopy using adapted nanoantenna substrates is an efficient technique for the selective detection of molecules by their vibrational spectra, even in small quantity. Highly doped semiconductors have been proposed as innovative materials for plasmonics, especially for more flexibility concerning the targeted spectral range. Here, we report on rectangular-shaped, highly Si-doped InAsSb nanoantennas sustaining polarization switchable longitudinal and transverse plasmonic resonances in the mid-infrared. For small array periodicities, the highest reflectance intensity is obtained. Large periodicities can be used to combine localized surface plasmon resonances (SPR) with array resonances, as shown in electromagnetic calculations. The nanoantenna arrays can be efficiently used for broadband SEIRA spectroscopy, exploiting the spectral overlap between the large longitudinal or transverse plasmonic resonances and narrow infrared active absorption features of an analyte molecule. We demonstrate an increase of the vibrational line intensity up to a factor of 5.7 of infrared-active absorption features of vanillin in the fingerprint spectral region, yielding enhancement factors of three to four orders of magnitude. Moreover, an optimized readout for SPR sensing is proposed based on slightly overlapping longitudinal and transverse localized SPR.

Direct Observation on Reaction Intermediates and the Role of Bicarbonate Anions in CO2 Electrochemical Reduction Reaction on Cu Surfaces.

Cu is the only monometallic catalyst that produces a large amount of hydrocarbon fuels during the CO2 electrochemical reduction reaction (CO2RR). However, the CO2RR mechanism and the impact of electrolyte are unclear. In this communication, two important issues regarding the CO2RR on Cu surfaces are studied: (1) the direct observation on reaction intermediates and (2) the role of the electrolyte (KHCO3) in the reaction. Surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy allows direct observation of several reaction intermediates that have never been detected before, except for the commonly detected CO. Another important finding is that CO2 molecules are mediated to the Cu surface via their equilibrium with bicarbonate anions instead of direct adsorption from the solution. These results shed light on the full understanding of the CO2RR on Cu surfaces and developing more advanced catalysts.

The Role of Water Distribution Controlled by Transmembrane Potentials in the Cytochrome c-Cardiolipin Interaction: Revealing from Surface-Enhanced Infrared Absorption Spectroscopy.

The interaction of cytochrome c (cyt c) with cardiolipin (CL) plays a crucial role in apoptotic functions, however, the changes of the transmembrane potential in governing the protein behavior at the membrane-water interface have not been studied due to the difficulties in simultaneously monitoring the interaction and regulating the electric field. Herein, surface-enhanced infrared absorption (SEIRA) spectroelectrochemistry is employed to study the mechanism of how the transmembrane potentials control the interaction of cyt c with CL membranes by regulating the electrode potentials of an Au film. When the transmembrane potential decreases, the water content at the interface of the membranes can be increased to slow down protein adsorption through decreasing the hydrogen-bond and hydrophobic interactions, but regulates the redox behavior of CL-bound cyt c through a possible water-facilitated proton-coupled electron transfer process. Our results suggest that the potential drop-induced restructure of the CL conformation and the hydration state could modify the structure and function of CL-bound cyt c on the lipid membrane.