Ion Correlations at Electrified Soft Matter Interfaces

ISBN-13: 9783319343938 / Angielski / Miękka / 2016 / 112 str.

Nouamane Laanait

Opis

Ion Correlations at Electrified Soft Matter Interfaces presents an investigation that combines experiments, theory, and computer simulations to demonstrate that the interdependency between ion correlations and other ion interactions in solution can explain the distribution of ions near an electrified liquid/liquid interface. The properties of this interface are exploited to vary the coupling strength of ion-ion correlations from weak to strong while monitoring their influence on ion distributions at the nanometer scale with X-ray reflectivity and on the macroscopic scale with interfacial tension measurements. This thesis demonstrates that a parameter-free density functional theory that includes ion-ion correlations and ion-solvent interactions is in agreement with the data over the entire range of experimentally tunable correlation coupling strengths. The reported findings represent a significant advance towards understanding the nature and role of ion correlations in charged soft-matter. Ion distributions underlie many scientific phenomena and technological applications, including electrostatic interactions between charged biomolecules and the efficiency of energy storage devices. These distributions are determined by interactions dictated by the chemical properties of the ions and their environment, as well as the long-range nature of the electrostatic force. The presence of strong correlations between ions is responsible for counterintuitive effects such as like-charge attraction.

Spis treści

Introduction to the Electrical Double Layer.- Electrochemical Methods.- The Electrified Interface Formed by Two Immiscible Electrolyte Solutions.- The Potential of Zero Change.- Conductivity Measurements of the Dissociation of BTPPATPFB.- X-Ray Reflectivity Studies of Ion Condensation at the Electrified Liquid/Liquid Interface.- Experimental Procedure.- Data Analysis.- Concluding Remarks.- Sterically Modified Poisson-Boltzmann Equation.- Lattice Gas Approach.- Density Functional Approach.- Generalized SPB Theory.- Numerical Implementation of Electrostatic Boundary Value.- Experimental Tests of the SPB Theory.- Concluding Remarks.- Molecular Dynamics Simulation of Solvent Correlations.- MD Simulation of a Liquid/Liquid Interface.- Potential of Mean Force of Na+, Li+, and CL-.- Potential of Mean Force of TPFB.- Concluding Remarks.- The Role of Electrostatic Ion Correlations in Ion Condensation.- The Debye-Huckel Hole Theory.- A Density Functional Theory of Ion Correlations.- Experimental Tests of the PB/MD/DHH theory.- The Role of Electrostatic Ion Correlations in Ion Condensation.

O autorze

Current Affiliation:
Chemical Sciences and Engineering Division,
Argonne National Laboratory
9700 South Cass Avenue, Bldg. 200
Argonne, IL 60439-4831


Nouamane Laanait received his Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Illinois at Chicago, USA. He was twice awarded with the University of Illinois’ University Fellowship, and has twice received the GAANN Fellowship.