Abstract
The amino acid Cysteine, which plays a significant role as a charge transfer bridge, e.g. in redox proteins like Ferredoxin or Mo-Nitrogenase and in artificial systems like Self Assembled Monolayers (SAM’s) on gold, was adsorbed on both, natural and synthetic molybdenum disulfide and the changes were studied with combined photoelectrochemical and microwave conductivity techniques. In contrast to pyrite (FeS2), where modification with cysteine enhances the electrochemical corrosion, with molybdenum disulfide this is not the case. It was found that cysteine chemically interacts with both dangling bonds of molybdenum on edge sites as well as with d 2z orbitals of molybdenum that protrude through the van der Waals surface. The interaction with the edge sites leads to a decrease in dark current and hydrogen evolution activity. In inert electrolyte the interaction with the van der Waals surface leads to a decrease in decomposition-photocurrents due to the action of cysteine as a recombination centre for charge carriers. If, however, a reducing agent such as hydroquinone/quinone or hexacyanoferrate is added, photocurrents increase because the adsorbed cysteine now acts as charge transfer bridge and no longer as a recombination centre. This is supported by a significantly increased microwave conductivity indicating increased charge carrier lifetime.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
I. Daizadeh, D.M. Medvedev, and A.A. Stuchebrukhov (2002) Mol. Biol. Evol. 19:406
Lippard S.J., Berg J.M. (1995) Bioanorganische Chemie. Spektrum Akademischer Verlag, Heidelberg Berlin: Oxford
Tian Y., Shioda M., Kasahara S., Okajima T., Mao L., Hisabori T., Ohsaka T. (2002) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1569:151
Wang S., Du D. (2002). Sens 2:41
Rajh T., Ostafin A.E., Micic O.I., Tiede D.M., Thurnauer M.C. (1996). J. Phys. Chem. 100:4538
Rajh T. and Thurnauer M. (2001) Semiconductor assisted metal deposition for nanolithography applications, Pat.-No. 6.271.130, University of Chicago, USA
El-Halim A.M.A., Alonso-Vante N., Tributsch H. (1995). J. Electroanal. Chem. 399:29
Rojas-Chapana JA, Giersig M, Tributsch H (1996). Fuel 75:923
Barkschat A., Bildgebende elektrochemische Untersuchungen an Grenzflächen mit metallzentrierten Elektronenübertragungen, Dissertation (Freie University, Berlin, 2004)
Schlichthorl G., Tributsch H. (1992). Electrochim. Acta 37:919
Tributsch H., Schlichthorl G., Elstner L. (1993). Electrochim. Acta 38:141
Schlichthorl G., Untersuchung der Ladungsträgerkinetik in photoelektrochemische Systemen mit lichtinduzierter Mikrowellenreflektion, Dissertation (Freie Universität, Berlin, 1991)
Tributsch H. In White R.E., Conway B.E., Bockris J.O.M. (eds), ‘Modern aspects of electrochemistry’, vol 33. (Kluwer Academic/Plenum publisher, New York, 1999), pp. 435–522.
Bergmann H., Czeska B., Haas I., Mohsin B., and K.-H. Wandner (1992) in Czack G., Katscher H., Kirschstein G., Warkentin E. (eds) Gmelin handbook of inorganic and organometallic chemistry, vol. 7, 8th ed. Springer
Fasman G.D. (1976) in CRC Handbook of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Physical Chemical Data, Vol. 1, 3rd ed. (Cleveland, Ohio,), pp. 122–130.
Ralph T.R., Hitchman M.L., Millington J.P., Walsh F.C. (1994) J. Electroanal. Chem. 375:1
Ralph T.R., Hitchman M.L., Millington J.P., Walsh F.C. (1994) J. Electroanal. Chem. 275:17
Decker F, Scrosati B (1992) In Aruchamy A (ed) Photoelectrochemistry and Photovoltaics of Layered Semiconductors, vol 14. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, pp 121–154
Gerischer H, Kautek W (1982). J. Electroanal. Chem. 137:239
Haneman D., Tributsch H. (1993) Chem. Phys. Lett. 216:81
Tsyganenko A.A., Can F., Travert A., Mauge F. (2004) Appl. Catal. A 268:189
Mauge F., Lamotte J., Nesterenko N.S., Manoilova O. and Tsyganenko A.A. (2001) Catal. Today 70:271
Acknowledgements
The authors are grateful to Dr. S. Fiechter and Dr. Y. Tomm for fabrication and providing of the synthetic crystals and Dr. T. Dittrich and T. Guminskaya for performing SPV measurements. Special thanks go to S. Seeger, F. Wünsch, P. Bogdanoff and M. Kunst for their time and for fruitful discussions.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Moehl, T., Halim, M.A.E. & Tributsch, H. Photoelectrochemical studies on the n-MoS2–Cysteine interaction. J Appl Electrochem 36, 1341–1346 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10800-006-9172-5
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10800-006-9172-5