Use of Diode Analogy in Explaining the Voltammetric Characteristics of Immobilized Ferrocenyl Moieties on a Silicon Surface

Abstract

The creation of a model that explains the dependency of the voltammetric characteristics of ferrocene-terminated Si (Si-Fc) samples on the type of substrate (n- or p-type) would be helpful in understanding the electronic characteristics of these materials. To explain the dependency, Si-Fc samples are treated like diodes. As diodes, the samples may allow charge flow in a certain direction while inhibiting the opposite flow. The treatment of a sample as a diode is done to facilitate analysis of charge flow within the sample, thus enabling easy prediction of its electrochemical characteristics. Likewise, the trend of the anodic peak potential versus light intensity plot (of the samples with n-type substrate) is also associated with the sample’s diode characteristics. Our proposed model opens many scientific possibilities, especially in relating the voltammetric characteristics of electroactive molecules on a Si surface with the properties of a diode (e.g., open-circuit voltage).