Regenerative Electroactive Self-Assembled Layers from Reversible Non-Covalent Interactions.

Tethering redox-active molecules to electrode surfaces bridges the atomistic control prized in homogeneous systems with the practicality of reusable heterogeneous electrodes. Synthetic strategies for immobilization are traditionally designed to be permanent and thus lack a mechanism for repairing molecular detachment or degradation. A repair mechanism tuned to overcome the rates of molecular detachment and degradation would instead allow continuous regeneration of the desired electrochemical activity.