Microelectrode Arrays: A General Strategy for Using Oxidation Reactions To Site Selectively Modify Electrode Surfaces

Oxidation reactions are powerful tools for synthesis because they allow for the functionalization of molecules. Here, we present a general method for conducting these reactions on a microelectrode array in a site-selective fashion. The reactions are run as a competition between generation of a chemical oxidant at the electrodes in the array and reduction of the oxidant by a "confining agent" in the solution above the array. The "confining agent" does not need to be more reactive than the substrate fixed to the surface of the array. In many cases, the same substrate placed on the surface of the array can also be used in solution as the confining agent.