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Simulations of phase transitions and capacitance, of simple ionic fluids in porous electrodes

Stenberg, Samuel LU ; Vo, Phuong ; Woodward, Clifford E. and Forsman, Jan LU (2023) In Electrochimica Acta 437.
Abstract

In this work, we simulate the capacitance of a simple charged fluid model consisting of equal-sized, spherical monovalent ions, immersed in an implicit solvent. Apart from Coulomb forces, the particles interact via a truncated and shifted Lennard-Jones potential. This is a possible crude model for hydrophobic ions (assuming an implicit aqueous solvent) and allows for a possible demixing transition in the solution. Such a phase separation may be driven by charging a narrow slit-like pore, immersed in a dilute (“gas-like”) bulk phase, akin to a capillary condensation. We highlight the dramatic effect that boundary conditions and regulatory control have on electrical properties (e.g., the differential capacitance) at the point of... (More)

In this work, we simulate the capacitance of a simple charged fluid model consisting of equal-sized, spherical monovalent ions, immersed in an implicit solvent. Apart from Coulomb forces, the particles interact via a truncated and shifted Lennard-Jones potential. This is a possible crude model for hydrophobic ions (assuming an implicit aqueous solvent) and allows for a possible demixing transition in the solution. Such a phase separation may be driven by charging a narrow slit-like pore, immersed in a dilute (“gas-like”) bulk phase, akin to a capillary condensation. We highlight the dramatic effect that boundary conditions and regulatory control have on electrical properties (e.g., the differential capacitance) at the point of transition. For example, the surface potential displays a vertical (first-order) transition, as a function of surface charge density, when the latter is constrained to be uniform over the pore surfaces. At short separations, the transition is gradual (i.e., not first-order), which leads to a regime with an apparent ”non-physical” negative differential capacitance. Under conditions of constant surface potential, the negative capacitance region becomes inaccessible, as a first-order (horizontal) transition is reasserted. This is true for both conducting and non-conducting surfaces.

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author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Capacitance, Phase transitions, Porous electrodes, Simulations
in
Electrochimica Acta
volume
437
article number
141440
pages
6 pages
publisher
Pergamon Press Ltd.
external identifiers
  • scopus:85142168918
ISSN
0013-4686
DOI
10.1016/j.electacta.2022.141440
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
8105fc76-cbeb-4305-a905-ef9fce67277f
date added to LUP
2023-02-09 13:49:56
date last changed
2023-06-09 13:37:04
@article{8105fc76-cbeb-4305-a905-ef9fce67277f,
  abstract     = {{<p>In this work, we simulate the capacitance of a simple charged fluid model consisting of equal-sized, spherical monovalent ions, immersed in an implicit solvent. Apart from Coulomb forces, the particles interact via a truncated and shifted Lennard-Jones potential. This is a possible crude model for hydrophobic ions (assuming an implicit aqueous solvent) and allows for a possible demixing transition in the solution. Such a phase separation may be driven by charging a narrow slit-like pore, immersed in a dilute (“gas-like”) bulk phase, akin to a capillary condensation. We highlight the dramatic effect that boundary conditions and regulatory control have on electrical properties (e.g., the differential capacitance) at the point of transition. For example, the surface potential displays a vertical (first-order) transition, as a function of surface charge density, when the latter is constrained to be uniform over the pore surfaces. At short separations, the transition is gradual (i.e., not first-order), which leads to a regime with an apparent ”non-physical” negative differential capacitance. Under conditions of constant surface potential, the negative capacitance region becomes inaccessible, as a first-order (horizontal) transition is reasserted. This is true for both conducting and non-conducting surfaces.</p>}},
  author       = {{Stenberg, Samuel and Vo, Phuong and Woodward, Clifford E. and Forsman, Jan}},
  issn         = {{0013-4686}},
  keywords     = {{Capacitance; Phase transitions; Porous electrodes; Simulations}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Pergamon Press Ltd.}},
  series       = {{Electrochimica Acta}},
  title        = {{Simulations of phase transitions and capacitance, of simple ionic fluids in porous electrodes}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.electacta.2022.141440}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.electacta.2022.141440}},
  volume       = {{437}},
  year         = {{2023}},
}