Potential-dependent characterization of bombesin adsorbed states on roughened Ag, Au, and Cu electrode surfaces at physiological pH.

This paper reports the direct surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopic (SERS) and generalized two-dimensional correlation analysis observations of the different orientations of the neurotransmitter bombesin (BN) chemisorbed on electrochemically roughened Ag, Au, and Cu electrode surfaces at different applied electrode potentials and at physiological pH. The presence of the indole ring of Trp(8) and the amide bond between Gln(7) and Trp(8) of BN on these surfaces generates a specific SERS profile of BN adsorbed on the roughened Ag and Au electrodes that is affected by the electrode potential. Furthermore, for BN on Au, slight changes are observed in the band enhancement in comparison to what is observed for this neurotransmitter immobilized on Ag. In addition, there are larger changes in the spectra triggered by the substitution of Ag with Au electrodes and Ag with Cu electrodes than by substitution of Au with Cu electrodes.