Glutamate adsorption on the Au(111) surface at different pH values

Adsorbed amino acids can modulate the behavior of metal nanoparticles in advanced applications. Using a combination of electrochemical experiments, FTIR spectroscopy, and DFT calculations, glutamate species interacting with the Au(111) surface in solution are here investigated. Electrochemical results indicate that the adsorption behavior depends on the solution pH (which controls the glutamate ionization) and on the charge of the surface. Glutamate adsorption starts at potentials slightly negative to the potential of zero charge. The thermodynamic analysis of these results indicates that two electrons are exchanged per molecule, implying that both carboxylic groups become deprotonated upon adsorption. The FTIR spectra reveal that carboxylate groups are bonded to the surface in the bidentate configuration (with both oxygen atoms attached to the surface). Plausible adsorbed configurations, consistent with the whole of these insights, were found using DFT. -Additionally, it was observed that glutamate oxidation only takes place when the surface is oxidized, which suggests that this oxidation process involves the transfer of an oxygen group to the molecule, though, according to the FTIR spectra, the main chain remains intact.