Measurement of the kinetic isotope effect for the oxidation of NADH at a poly(aniline)-modified electrode.

Kinetic isotope measurements using [4,4-2H2]NADH and [4-1H, 4-2H]NADH have been used to investigate the mechanism of the electrochemical oxidation of NADH at poly(aniline)-poly(vinyl sulfonate)-modified electrodes. The experiments show a primary kinetic isotope effect for the reaction of 4.2. This is consistent with literature values for the corresponding isotope effect for the oxidation of NADH by two-electron oxidants in homogeneous solution. The result demonstrates that transfer of H from NADH to the modified electrode occurs in the rate-limiting step within the reaction complex.