Mechanisms of Electrode Reactions

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This project, supported in the Analytical and Surface Chemistry Program, is directed towards the development of electrochemical methods to study chemical and biochemical problems. During the tenure of this three-year continuing grant, Professor Allen J. Bard and his students at the University of Texas at Austin will gain insights into protein structure, binding constants, stoichiometry, and develop biosensors by exploiting the interaction of electroactive agents with biomolecules. Changes in current and electrochemiluminescence responses caused by interactions of biomacromolecules with these agents will be used to probe reactions involving enzymes, antibodies, and DNA. In addition, scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) will be used to detect fast heterogeneous and coupled homogeneous reactions and to investigate electron and ion transport across liquid-liquid interfaces, thus allowing characterization of polymer films and self-assembled monolayers. Electrochemical approaches have been used for generations to measure the composition, concentration, and reactivity of numerous metal, organic, biological and semiconductor species. These techniques are used routinely in industrial and clinical industries to make simple determinations such as the pH of water in swimming pools, contaminants in drinking water, and the identification of complex, trace level hormones in the body which signal pregnancy. Professor Allen Bard and his students at the University of Texas at Austin have been leaders in the field of electroanalytical chemistry and will be spearheading new analytical and surface analysis methods useful in such fields as biotechnology, environmental analysis, and advance manufacturing.