Hemoglobin Electron Transfer Reactions

Abstract

Electrochemical techniques have become established tools for the study of the electron transfer reactions of biological molecules (1,2,3). These reactions are the basis of life processes within the cell. The mechanisms by which these molecules transport electrons have been the subject of intense investigation. Electron transfer kinetic data of these molecules in solution and at electrode surfaces have been used to help establish the mechanisms of the physiological reactions of these molecules. Early electrochemical investigations of biological redox molecules involved the electron transfer between two biological molecules or between a biological molecule and a mediator used to couple the molecule to an electrode. These studies have been reviewed by Heineman et al. (4) and Szentrimay et al. (5). Later studies have focused on heterogeneous electron transfer reactions at modified metal electrodes (6–10), semiconductor electrodes (11–16), and at bare metal electrodes (10, 17–18).