Nanoscale and Single-Molecule Interfacial Electron Transfer

Electrochemical science and technology in the 21st century have reached high levels of sophistication. A fundamental quantum mechanical theoretical frame for interfacial electrochemical electron transfer (ET) was introduced by Revaz Dogonadze. This frame has remained for four decades as a basis for comprehensive later theoretical work and data interpretation in many areas of chemistry, electrochemistry, and biology. We discuss here some new areas of theoretical electrochemical ET science, with focus on nanoscale electrochemical and bioelectrochemical sciences. Particular attention is given to in situ scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and single-electron tunneling (SET, or Coulomb blockade) in electrochemical. systems directly in aqueous electrolyte solution and at room temperature. We illustrate the new theoretical formalism and its perspectives by recent cases of electrochemical SET, negative differential resistance patterns, and by ET dynamics of organized assemblies of biological macromolecules, such as redox metalloproteins and oligonucleotides on single-crystal Au(111)-electrode surfaces.