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- ItemThermodynamic models for a concentration and electric field dependent susceptibility in liquid electrolytes(Berlin : Weierstraß-Institut für Angewandte Analysis und Stochastik, 2021) Landstorfer, Manuel; Müller, RüdigerThe dielectric susceptibility $chi$ is an elementary quantity of the electrochemical double layer and the associated Poisson equation. While most often $chi$ is treated as a material constant, its dependency on the salt concentration in liquid electrolytes is demonstrated by various bulk electrolyte experiments. This is usually referred to as dielectric decrement. Further, it is theoretically well accepted that the susceptibility declines for large electric fields. This effect is frequently termed dielectric saturation. We analyze the impact of a variable susceptibility in terms of species concentrations and electric fields based on non-equilibrium thermodynamics. This reveals some non-obvious generalizations compared to the case of a constant susceptibility. In particular the consistent coupling of the Poisson equation, the momentum balance and the chemical potentials functions are of ultimate importance. In a numerical study, we systematically analyze the effects of a concentration and field dependent susceptibility on the double layer of a planar electrode electrolyte interface. We compute the differential capacitance and the spatial structure of the electric potential, solvent concentration and ionic distribution for various non-constant models of $chi$.
- ItemModeling polycrystalline electrode-electrolyte interfaces: The differential capacitance(Berlin : Weierstraß-Institut für Angewandte Analysis und Stochastik, 2019) Fuhrmann, Jürgen; Landstorfer, Manuel; Müller, RüdigerWe present and analyze a model for polycrystalline electrode surfaces based on an improved continuum model that takes finite ion size and solvation into account. The numerical simulation of finite size facet patterns allows to study two limiting cases: While for facet size diameter $d^facet to 0$ we get the typical capacitance of a spatially homogeneous but possible amorphous or liquid surface, in the limit $L^Debye << d^facet$ , an ensemble of non-interacting single crystal surfaces is approached. Already for moderate size of the facet diameters, the capacitance is remarkably well approximated by the classical approach of adding the single crystal capacities of the contributing facets weighted by their respective surface fraction. As a consequence, the potential of zero charge is not necessarily attained at a local minimum of capacitance, but might be located at a local capacitance maximum instead. Moreover, the results show that surface roughness can be accurately taken into account by multiplication of the ideally flat polycrystalline surface capacitance with a single factor. In particular, we find that the influence of the actual geometry of the facet pattern in negligible and our theory opens the way to a stochastic description of complex real polycrystal surfaces.
- ItemOn the dissociation degree of ionic solutions considering solvation effects(Berlin : Weierstraß-Institut für Angewandte Analysis und Stochastik, 2017) Landstorfer, ManuelIn this work the impact of solvation effects on the dissociation degree of strong electrolytes and salts is discussed. The investigation is based on a thermodynamic model which is capable to predict qualitatively and quantitatively the double layer capacity of various electrolytes. A remarkable relationship between capacity maxima, partial molar volume of ions in solution, and solvation numbers, provides an experimental access to determine the number of solvent molecules bound to a specific ion in solution. This shows that the Stern layer is actually a saturated solution of 1 mol L 1 solvated ions, and we point out some fundamental similarities of this state to a saturated bulk solution. Our finding challenges the assumption of complete dissociation, even for moderate electrolyte concentrations, whereby we introduce an undissociated ion-pair in solution. We re-derive the equilibrium conditions for a two-step dissociation reaction, including solvation effects, which leads to a new relation to determine the dissociation degree. A comparison to Ostwalds dilution law clearly shows the shortcomings when solvation effects are neglected and we emphasize that complete dissociation is questionable beyond 0.5 mol L 1 for aqueous, mono-valent electrolytes.