Baker, PriscillaIwuoha, EmmanuelTicha, Lawrence AwaDept. of ChemistryFaculty of Science2013-11-162024-05-092012/07/032012/07/032013-11-162024-05-092007https://hdl.handle.net/10566/14608Magister Scientiae - MScA novel cyclopentadienylruthenium(II) thiolato Schiff base, [Ru(SC6H4NC(H)C6H4OCH2CH2SMe)(η5-C2H5]2 was synthesized and deposited as a selfassembled monolayer (SAM) on a gold electrode. Effective electronic communication between the Ru(II) centers and the gold electrode was established by electrostatically cycling the Shiff base-doped gold electrode in 0.1 M NaOH from -200 mV to +600 mV. The SAMmodified gold electrode (Au/SAM) exhibited quasi-reversible electrochemistry. The integrity of this electro-catalytic SAM, with respect to its ability to block and electro-catalyze certain Faradaic processes, was interrogated using Cyclic and Osteryoung Square Wave voltammetric experiments. The formal potential, E0', varied with pH to give a slope of about - 34 mV pH-1. The surface concentration, Γ, of the ruthenium redox centers was found to be 1.591 x 10-11 mol cm-2. By electrostatically doping the Au/SAM/Horseradish peroxidase at an applied potential of +700 mV vs Ag/AgCl, a biosensor was produced for the amperometric analysis of hydrogen peroxide, cumene hydroperoxide and tert-butylhydroperoxide. The electrocatalytic-type biosensors displayed typical Michaelis-Menten kinetics with their limits of detection of 6.45 M, 6.92 M and 7.01 M for hydrogen peroxide, cumene hydroperoxide and tert-butylhydroperoxide respectively.enSelf-assembled monolayer (SAM)Cyclopentadienylruthenium(II) thiolato Shiff baseBiosensorsElectrostatic dopingHorseradish peroxidase PeroxidesCyclic Voltammetry (CV)Osteryoung Square Wave voltammetry (OSWV)ThesisUniversity of the Western Cape