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Ionic liquid structure, dynamics, and electrosorption in carbon electrodes with bimodal pores and heterogeneous surfaces

Journal Article · · Carbon
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [2];  [2];  [4];  [4];  [3];  [4];  [1]
  1. Drexel Univ., Philadelphia, PA (United States). A.J. Drexel Nanomaterials Inst. Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering
  2. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Neutron Scattering Division
  3. Vanderbilt Univ., Nashville, TN (United States). Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
  4. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Chemical Sciences Division
In this paper, we investigate the aggregation, diffusion, and resulting electrochemical behavior of ionic liquids inside carbon electrodes with complex pore architectures and surface chemistries. Carbide-derived carbons (CDCs) with bimodal porosities and defunctionalized or oxidized electrode surfaces served as model electrode materials. Our goal was to obtain a fundamental understanding of room-temperature ionic liquid ion orientation, mobility, and electrosorption behavior. Neat 1-octyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide confined in CDCs was studied using an integrated experimental and modeling approach, consisting of quasielastic neutron scattering, small-angle neutron scattering, X-ray pair distribution function analysis, and electrochemical measurements, which were combined with molecular dynamics simulations. Our analysis shows that surface oxygen groups increase the diffusion of confined electrolytes. Consequently, the ions become more than twice as mobile in oxygen-rich pores. Although greater self-diffusion of ions translates into higher electrochemical mobilities in oxidized pores, bulk-like behavior of ions dominates in the larger mesopores and increases the overall capacitance in defunctionalized pores. Experimental results highlight strong confinement and surface effects of carbon electrodes on electrolyte behavior, and molecular dynamics simulations yield insight into diffusion and capacitance differences in specific pore regions. Finally, we demonstrate the significance of surface defects on electrosorption dynamics of complex electrolytes in hierarchical pore architectures of supercapacitor electrodes.
Research Organization:
Drexel Univ., Philadelphia, PA (United States); Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRC) (United States). Fluid Interface Reactions, Structures and Transport Center (FIRST); Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES) (SC-22)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC05-00OR22725
OSTI ID:
1432166
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1576053
Journal Information:
Carbon, Journal Name: Carbon Vol. 129; ISSN 0008-6223
Publisher:
ElsevierCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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