Investigation of the electrode reaction of cytochrome c and pyrroliquinoline quinone at self-assembled monolayers of amino acid

Self-Assembled monolayers of carboxyl-terminated alkanethiols, which is negatively charged in pH 7.0, were usually used to facilitate the electron transfer between the positively charged protein and the electrode. In case of L-cysteine, as it has both positive and negative group, it can be a candidate for a new modifier to facilitate positively charged protein or negatively charged protein. Our investigation of L-cysteine shows that the electron transfer occurs successfully to both cytochrome c (cyt. c) and pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ). By using 1-ethyl-3-(3-dime-thlyaminopropyl) carbodiimide (EDC), we made a covalent bond between cyt. c and monolayer. Then PQQ was electrostatically adsorbed to the same monolayer. Cyclic voltammograms show that both molecules do not interfere each other and electron transfer is appreciable.