In situ electrochemical SFG/DFG study of CN- and nitrile adsorption at Au from 1-butyl-1-methyl-pyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl) amide ionic liquid([BMP][TFSA]) containing 4-{2-[1-(2-cyanoethyl)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinolin-6-yl]diazenyl} benzonitrile (CTDB) and K[Au(CN)₂].

In this paper we report an in situ electrochemical Sum-/Difference Frequency Generation (SFG/DFG) spectroscopy investigation of the adsorption of nitrile and CN⁻ from the ionic liquid 1-butyl-1-methyl-pyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl) amide ([BMP][TFSA]) containing 4-{2-[1-(2-cyanoethyl)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinolin-6-yl]-diazenyl}benzonitrile (CTDB) at Au electrodes in the absence and in the presence of the Au-electrodeposition process from K[Au(CN)₂]. The adsorption of nitrile and its coadsorption with CN⁻ resulting either from the cathodic decomposition of the dye or from ligand release from the Au(I) cyanocomplex yield potential-dependent single or double SFG bands in the range 2,125-2,140 cm⁻¹, exhibiting Stark tuning values of ca. 3 and 1 cm⁻¹ V⁻¹ in the absence and presence of electrodeposition, respectively.