Electrochemical studies of self-assembled monolayers composed of various phenylboronic acid derivatives.

Gold electrodes were functionalized with thiolated phenylboronic acids or by sequential immobilization of alkanethiols with terminal carboxylic groups and conjugation with aminophenylboronic acids. The stepwise assembly of organic molecules was characterized by several voltammetric techniques with systematic monitoring of surface coverage of organic molecules anchored to the gold electrodes. The receptor properties and applicability of the obtained monomolecular layers for the voltammetric detection of fructose and fluoride ions in solution were evaluated. The MPBA and APBA modified electrodes can be applied for the voltammetric determination of chosen non-electroactive analytes on the basis of the changes in peak currents of ferricyanide/ferrocyanide couple in the presence of the detected species.