The immobilization of enzymatic and molecular catalysts on conductive surfaces is of interest in many different fields of electrocatalysis. The interface between these catalysts and the electrode surfaces plays hereby a critical role for the catalysts efficiency, stability and applicability (e.g. affecting electron transfer).

Surface immobilization strategies hereby involve the functionalization of the electrode surface. In this work the covalent modification of various electrodes for the tailored immobilization of molecular and biological catalysts is presented. Crucial information regarding the surface functionalization process, the interface structure and it’s behavior have been obtained using a combination of electrochemical techniques as well as in-situ Surface Enhanced Infrared Absorption Spectroscopy (SEIRAS). In this way catalyst immobilization, stability and mechanistic aspects could be probed in a large electrochemical window due to the remarkable stability of these covalent interfaces.