Stereospecificity in redox reactions of catechins at gold electrodes modified with self-assembled monolayers of homocysteine

The stereospecificity of a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of homocysteine formed on the (1 1 1)-oriented gold surface toward the molecules with two chiral centers was investigated. Redox behaviors of catechins, which are electrochemically active molecules with two chiral centers, were analyzed with cyclic voltammetry by using a gold electrode modified with one enantiomeric form of homocysteine. The homocysteine SAM of one enantiomeric form was demonstrated to block the redox reaction of one enantiomer of catechin or epicatechin greater than that of the other, with cross inversion for the other enantiomer, in acidic solution. In addition, the homocysteine SAM on the gold electrode was suggested to recognize the chirality of one of the two chiral centers in catechin and epicatechin.