Toward reagentless electrochemically addressable microarrays: Synthesis of suitable monomers and anchor molecules

Combinatorial chemistry facilitates the synthesis of large libraries of compounds. However, the screening of such libraries is time-consuming and remains a challenging problem. In this thesis we propose that an array of gold electrodes could be used for the generation of large combinatorial libraries of oligomers with defined sequences. The ability to address individual electrodes in a controlled manner through directed electrochemical deprotection of suitably designed molecules, facilitates the generation of spatially addressable libraries that can be readily deconvoluted. Here, we outline this electrochemical strategy, which involves electrochemical deprotection of surface-bound amines. Once deprotected, these amines can be elaborated using monomeric units containing a suitable electrophile and an amine protected by an electrochemically protected group. This process can be repeated to generate the desired oligomers and should be amenable to such arrays. Preliminary electrochemical modification of monolayers of a diaryldisulfide molecule informing on optimising device design will also be presented.