Liquid-liquid ion transport junctions based on paired gold electrodes in generator-collector mode

Simultaneous electrochemically driven double anion transfer across liquid-liquid interfaces is demonstrated at a gold-gold junction electrode. In the presence of two closely spaced electrodes (generator and collector), anion uptake into the organic phase (oxidation) and anion expulsion into the aqueous phase (reduction) can be combined to result in a generator-collector anion transport system across the liquid-liquid interface. In this report we are employing a paired gold junction grown by electro-deposition to ca. 5 microm gap size with the N,N-diethyl-N',N'-didodecyl-phenylene-diamine water immiscible redox liquid immobilized into the gap to demonstrate simultaneous perchlorate anion uptake and expulsion. The effects of redox liquid volume and scan rate on the magnitude of currents and two mechanistic pathways for ion transport are discussed in the context of micro-electrophoretic processes.