Ultrafast aqueous electric double layer dynamics.

Authors

Alessandro Greco, Sho Imoto, Ellen H G Backus, Yuki Nagata, Johannes Hunger, Mischa Bonn

Published in

Science (New York, N.Y.). Volume 388. Issue 6745. Pages 405-410. Apr 25, 2025. Epub Apr 24, 2025.

Abstract

The electric double layer (EDL) is critical in electrochemical capacitors and transistors, on-water chemistry, and bioelectric technologies. Ion dynamics within the EDL define the limits for charging and discharging processes. Classical EDL models struggle at high electrolyte concentrations, and observing EDL dynamics has been challenging. In this study, an all-optical technique allowed real-time monitoring of EDL dynamics at arbitrary concentration by quasi-instantaneously changing the surface propensity of protons (H₃O⁺) adsorbed at the air-aqueous electrolyte solution interface and by subsequently tracking EDL relaxation with femtosecond time-resolved spectroscopy. EDL reorganization occurred on picosecond timescales and was strongly concentration dependent. Nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations and analytical modeling showed that ion conduction primarily drove EDL dynamics. This research quantified EDL dynamics and identified its primary driver, providing insights for optimization of electrochemical applications.

PMID:
40273265
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 25 Apr 2025.

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