Real-Time Detection of Hydroxyl Radical Generated at Operating Electrodes via Redox-Active Adduct Formation Using...

The hydroxyl radical (^•OH) is one of the most attractive reactive oxygen species due to its high oxidation power and its clean (photo)(electro)generation from water, leaving no residues and creating new prospects for efficient wastewater treatment and electrosynthesis. Unfortunately, in situ detection of ^•OH is challenging due to its short lifetime (few ns). Using lifetime-extending spin traps, such as 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline N-oxide (DMPO) to generate the [DMPO-OH]^• adduct in combination with electron spin resonance (ESR), allows unambiguous determination of its presence in solution. However, this method is cumbersome and lacks the necessary sensitivity and versatility to explore and quantify ^•OH generation dynamics at electrode surfaces in real time. Here, we identify that [DMPO-OH]^• is redox-active with E⁰ = 0.85 V vs Ag|AgCl and can be conveniently detected on Au and C ultramicroelectrodes. Using scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM), a four-electrode technique capable of collecting the freshly generated [DMPO-OH]^• from near the electrode surface, we detected its generation in real time from operating electrodes. We also generated images of [DMPO-OH]^• production and estimated and compared its generation efficiency at various electrodes (boron-doped diamond, tin oxide, titanium foil, glassy carbon, platinum, and lead oxide). Density functional calculations, ESR measurements, and bulk calibration using the Fenton reaction helped us unambiguously identify [DMPO-OH]^• as the source of redox activity. We hope these findings will encourage the rapid, inexpensive, and quantitative detection of ^•OH for conducting informed explorations of its role in mediated oxidation processes at electrode surfaces for energy, environmental, and synthetic applications.