Electrical monitoring of single-event protonation dynamics at the solid-liquid interface and its regulation by external mechanical forces

Detecting chemical reaction dynamics at solid-liquid interfaces is important for understanding heterogeneous reactions. However, there is a lack of exploration of interface reaction dynamics from the single-molecule perspective, which can reveal the intrinsic reaction mechanism underlying ensemble experiments. Here, single-event protonation reaction dynamics at a solid-liquid interface are studied in-situ using single-molecule junctions. Molecules with amino terminal groups are used to construct single-molecule junctions. An interfacial cationic state present after protonation is discovered. Real-time electrical measurements are used to monitor the reversible reaction between protonated and deprotonated states, thereby revealing the interfacial reaction mechanism through dynamic analysis. The protonation reaction rate constant has a linear positive correlation with proton concentration, whereas the deprotonation reaction rate constant has a linear negative correlation. In addition, external mechanical forces can effectively regulate the protonation reaction process. This work provides a single-molecule perspective for exploring interface science, which will contribute to the development of heterogeneous catalysis and electrochemistry.