Selective Ion Transfer Accompanied by a Respiration Mimetic Reaction at an Aqueous/Organic Solutions Interface

Abstract

When an aqueous solution (W) containing flavin mononucleotide, pyruvic acid and O₂ was put into contact with a nitrobenzene solution (NB) containing Na⁺, K⁺, valinomycin and a ferrocene derivative, CO₂ was evolved in W and Na⁺ was transferred from NB to W, though K⁺ remained in NB. The above-mentioned respiration mimetic reaction process, accompanied by the selective ion transfer, was elucidated by referring to the ion and electron transfer voltammograms at the W/NB interface and by taking into account the energetics of the coupling between the ion and electron transfers.