Precision Control of Complex Electrochemical Interfaces for Separations
March 20, 2019 | Pacific Northwest National LaboratoryEstimated reading time: 1 minute
Researchers working within PNNL’s Separations Science program succeeded in coupling a highly controlled way of modifying surfaces, called ion soft landing, with a PNNL-designed and built electrochemical cell to achieve precise control over the chemical composition of complex interfaces. Once achieved, this allowed them to make atom-by-atom changes to electrodes to study the effect on performance and stability. The experiments, combined with theoretical calculations by collaborators in Spain, were published in an ACS Nano article titled “Controlling the Activity and Stability of Electrochemical Interfaces Using Atom-by-Atom Metal Substitution of Redox Species.” They revealed that substitution of only one to three tungsten atoms by molybdenum atoms in complex metal-atom clusters resulted in a pronounced improvement in their electronic behavior, which controls how efficiently these species accept electrons for separation applications.
In electrochemical devices used for separations, the interfaces are complex. A lot is going on at once as electroactive ions, solvent molecules, and supporting electrolytes interact, exchanging electrons and mass during charge transfer processes. To understand these processes, it is necessary to decouple the different charge transfer and ionic interactions occurring on electrodes. In this study, the researchers did just that, and further, exerted control over the process by tuning electrodes at the atomic level.
“The atomically precise insights obtained from our experiments and theoretical calculations allowed us to develop efficient electrochemical interfaces using super-active anions that would not have been identified using conventional techniques that sample heterogeneous mixtures,” said PNNL chemist Venkateshkumar Prabhakaran, lead author of the study. “This approach can be widely adopted to study electrochemical interfaces in other related technologies, which may assist the nation’s future needs in chemical separations, energy generation, and storage.”
The researchers are now studying how to modulate the efficiency of separating different ions in solution using well-defined electrodes with precisely controlled-anions and membrane layers. The fundamental insights gained in understanding molecular-level electrochemical interfaces may serve as a foundation for designing superior electrodes for separations, or even energy storage, at the device scale.
Suggested Items
On the Line With... Podcast Talks With Cadence Expert on Manufacturing
04/18/2024 | I-Connect007In “PCB 3.0: A New Design Methodology: Manufacturing” Patrick Davis returns to the podcast to talk about design rules. As design considerations become more and more complex, so, too, do the rulesets designers must abide by.
Arena Announces Collaboration with AMD
04/05/2024 | PRNewswireArena, a developer of specialist AI foundation models, announced a collaboration to scale AMD's deployment of Arena Atlas, the world's first AI test & optimization product for the latest process node semiconductor technology.
MacDermid Alpha Electronics Solutions Advances Reliability and Performance, Showcasing Next Generation Solutions at IPC APEX EXPO 2024
04/04/2024 | MacDermid Alpha Electronics SolutionsMacDermid Alpha Electronics Solutions, a leading global provider of advanced chemistries and material solutions for the electronics industry, is proud to announce its participation at IPC APEX 2024, held April 9-11, at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, CA.
iNEMI Publishes Four Roadmap Topics
04/04/2024 | iNEMIThe International Electronics Manufacturing Initiative (iNEMI) announces the availability of the first roadmap topics in the new iNEMI Roadmap format. Printed circuit boards, sustainable electronics, smart manufacturing, and mmWave materials and test are now available online.
Altair SimSolid Transforms Simulation for Electronics Industry
03/29/2024 | AltairAltair, a global leader in computational intelligence, announced the upcoming release of Altair SimSolid for electronics, bringing game-changing fast, easy, and precise multi-physics scenario exploration for electronics, from chips, PCBs, and ICs to full system design.