Electrode-electrolyte interface, chemical physics

To be able to understand how computational approaches can and should be used for electrochemical prediction we first of all need to have a correct description of the precise aims. We start from the very basic lithium-ion cell operation that ideally involves two well-defined and reversible reduction and oxidation redox) reactions - one at each electrode/electrolyte interface - coordinated with the outer transport of electrons and internal transport of lithium ions between the positive and negative electrodes. However, in practice many other chemical and physical phenomena take place simultaneously, such as anion diffusion in the electrolyte and additional redox processes at the interfaces due to reduction and/or oxidation of electrolyte components (Fig. 9.1). Control of these additional phenomena is crucial to ensure safe and stable ceU operation and to optimize the overall cell performance. In general, computations can thus be used (1) to predict wanted redox reactions, for example the reduction potential E ) of a film-forming additive intended for a protective solid electrolyte interface (SEI) and (2) to predict unwanted redox reactions, for example the oxidation potential (Eox) limit of electrolyte solvents or anions. As outlined above, the additional redox reactions involve components of the electrolyte, which thus is a prime aim of the modelling. The working agenda of different electrolyte materials in the cell -and often the unwanted reactions - are addressed to be able to mitigate the limitations posed in a rational way. 

Electrochemical reactions are heterogeneous in nature with the reaction kinetics being controlled by the properties of the electrode-electrolyte interface and the concentration of reactant available at this interface. Therefore, the physical, chemical, and electronic properties of the electrode surface are of paramount importance. Several factors will influence the electron-transfer kinetics for a redox system (i) type of electrode material, (ii) surface cleanliness, (iii) surface microstructure, (iv) surface chemistry, and (v) electronic properties (e.g., charge carrier mobility and concentration, which can be potential dependent for some semiconducting electrodes). Of course, if the solid is not a good electrical conductor (low charge carrier mobility and/or carrier concentration), then the current flow will be limited and the material will have drawbacks for electrochemical measurements. With the exception... 

In a carbon-supported metal electrocatalyst, the electronic interaction between metal and carbon support has a significant effect on its electrochemical performance [4], For carbon-supported Pt electrocatalyst, carbon could accelerate the electron transfer at the electrode-electrolyte interface, leading to an accelerated electrode process. Typically, the electrons are transferred from platinum clusters to the oxygen species on the surfece of a carbon support material and the chemical bond formation or the charge transfer process occurs at the contacting phase, which is considered to be beneficial to the enhancement of the catalytic properties in terms of activity and stability of the electrocatalysts. Experimentally, the investigation into the electron interaction between metal catalyst and support materials could be realized by various physical, spectroscopic, and electrochemical approaches. The electron donation behavior of Pt to carbon support materials has been demonstrated by the electron spin resonance (ESR) X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) studies, with the conclusion that the electron interaction between Pt and carbon support depends on their Fermi level of electrons. It is considered that the electronic structure change of Pt on carbon support induced by the electron interaction has positive effect toward the enhancement of the catalytic properties and the improvement of the stability of the electrocatalyst system. However, the exact quantitative relationship between electronic interaction of carbon-supported catalyst and its electrocatalytic performance is still not yet fully established [4]. 

Hermann Lndwig Ferdinand von Helmholtz (1821-1894) was a German scientist who made significant contributions to a number of areas in chemistry and physics. In physics, he contributed to the development of the conservation of energy theory and made fnndamental input to the formulation of chemical thermodynamics. He is well known for a formulation of the electric donble layer and concepts of the electrode/electrolyte interface. 

Interfacial water molecules play important roles in many physical, chemical and biological processes. A molecular-level understanding of the structural arrangement of water molecules at electrode/electrolyte solution interfaces is one of the most important issues in electrochemistry. The presence of oriented water molecules, induced by interactions between water dipoles and electrode and by the strong electric field within the double layer has been proposed [39-41]. It has also been proposed that water molecules are present at electrode surfaces in the form of clusters [42, 43]. Despite the numerous studies on the structure of water at metal electrode surfaces using various techniques such as surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy [44, 45], surface infrared spectroscopy [46, 47[, surface enhanced infrared spectroscopy [7, 8] and X-ray diffraction [48, 49[, the exact nature of the structure of water at an electrode/solution interface is still not fully understood. 

For the familiar dropping mercury electrode, the electrical potential 1J1 at the metal surface relative to the bulk region of the electrolyte is controlled by an external potential source - a constant voltage source. In this case, can be set to any value (within reasonable physical limits) as the mercury/electrolyte interface does not allow charge transfer or chemical reactions to occur (at least to a good approximation for the case of NaF). Therefore, we can say that the equation of state of the mercury surface is... 

The electrosorption of reactive intermediates and of organic molecules at this interface is generally weak, due to physical adsorption. Nonetheless, in particular if the reactive intermediates are so reactive that they do not survive for much longer than 10-9 sec and therefore cannot escape from the electrode surface, the chemical composition of the adsorbate layer being different from that of the bulk electrolyte composition influences the course of consecutive reactions and their yields and selectivities decisively. 

The measurement of the ohmic resistance for an electrolyte is more difficult than it is for a metal wire. A variety of chemical and physical processes occur at the electrode-solution interface that must be separated from the voltage drop associated with the migration of ions through the bulk electrolyte. 

It can be expected from the nature of silicon/electrolyte interfaces described in the previous sections that the surface states on silicon electrodes may have different physical and chemical characteristics such as type, quantity, distribution, transfer kinetics, and so on, depending on the surface condition. Table 2.12 shows examples of measurements of surface states reported in the literature. Thus, while the energy levels in bulk silicon and electrolyte can be described by a general theory, those of surface states can only be dealt with by specific theories applicable to the specific situations. 

The introduction of in-situ infrared spectroscopy to electrochemistry has revolutionised the study of metal/electrolyte interfaces. Modnlation or sampling techniques are applied in order to enhance sensitivity and to separate snrface species from volume species. Methods such as EMIRS (electrochemicaUy modulated IR spectroscopy) and SNIFTIRS (subtractively normalised interfacial Fonrier Transform infrared spectroscopy) have been employed to study electrocatalytic electrodes, for example. There have been surprisingly few studies of the semiconductor/electrolyte interface by infrared spectroscopy. This because up to now little emphasis has been placed on the molecnlar electrochemistry of electrode reactions at semiconductors because the description of charge transfer at semiconductor/electrolyte interfaces is derived from solid-state physics. However, the evident need to identify the chemical identity of snrface species should lead to an increase in the application of in-situ FTIR. 

FF = 0.68, and rj = 11.7%. The improvement in the photoelectrochemical solar cell properties has been ascribed to the formation of n-CdSe/n-WOs heterojunctions, which enhances the charge transfer at the semiconductor/electrolyte interface. These results indicated for the first time the interesting effects of STA and PTA on chemically deposited CdSe films. This opens up a new method for fabricating mixed electrodes with improved physical properties and photoelectrochemical solar cell performances. 

Electrochemical inhibitors retard or prevent the anodic and/or cathodic partial reactions (i.e they influence the reaction at the metal/corrosive medium interface). Chemical inhibitors can react both with the material and form protective coatings and with the medium itself or its constituents and thus diminish its aggressiveness. Physical inhibitors form adsorption layers on the metal surface, which block the corrosion reaction. Inhibitors that influence the electrochemical electrode reactions are subdivided according to their mode of action and site of action in the area of the metal/ medium phase boundary, with the subdivision being between interface inhibitors, electrolyte film inhibitors, membrane inhibitors, and passivators. 

In electrochemistry an electrode is an electronic conductor in contact with an ionic conductor. The electronic conductor can be a metal, or a semiconductor, or a mixed electronic and ionic conductor. The ionic conductor is usually an electrolyte solution however, solid electrolytes and ionic melts can be used as well. The term electrode is also used in a technical sense, meaning the electronic conductor only. If not specified otherwise, this meaning of the term electrode is the subject of the present chapter. In the simplest case the electrode is a metallic conductor immersed in an electrolyte solution. At the surface of the electrode, dissolved electroactive ions change their charges by exchanging one or more electrons with the conductor. In this electrochemical reaction both the reduced and oxidized ions remain in solution, while the conductor is chemically inert and serves only as a source and sink of electrons. The technical term electrode usually also includes all mechanical parts supporting the conductor (e.g., a rotating disk electrode or a static mercury drop electrode). Furthermore, it includes all chemical and physical modifications of the conductor, or its surface (e.g., a mercury film electrode, an enzyme electrode, and a carbon paste electrode). However, this term does not cover the electrolyte solution and the ionic part of a double layer at the electrode/solution interface. Ion-selective electrodes, which are used in potentiometry, will not be considered in this chapter. Theoretical and practical aspects of electrodes are covered in various books and reviews [1-9]. 

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