Institute of Energy and Climate Research (IEK-14), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425 Jülich, Germany.
Institute of Energy and Climate Research (IEK-13), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425 Jülich, Germany.
Int J Mol Sci. 2021 Nov 23;22(23):12653. doi: 10.3390/ijms222312653.
Protic ionic liquids are promising electrolytes for fuel cell applications. They would allow for an increase in operation temperatures to more than 100 °C, facilitating water and heat management and, thus, increasing overall efficiency. As ionic liquids consist of bulky charged molecules, the structure of the electric double layer significantly differs from that of aqueous electrolytes. In order to elucidate the nanoscale structure of the electrolyte-electrode interface, we employ atomic force spectroscopy, in conjunction with theoretical modeling using molecular dynamics. Investigations of the low-acidic protic ionic liquid diethylmethylammonium triflate, in contact with a platinum (100) single crystal, reveal a layered structure consisting of alternating anion and cation layers at the interface, as already described for aprotic ionic liquids. The structured double layer depends on the applied electrode potential and extends several nanometers into the liquid, whereby the stiffness decreases with increasing distance from the interface. The presence of water distorts the layering, which, in turn, significantly changes the system's electrochemical performance. Our results indicate that for low-acidic ionic liquids, a careful adjustment of the water content is needed in order to enhance the proton transport to and from the catalytic electrode.
质子离子液体是用于燃料电池的有前途的电解质。它们可以将操作温度提高到 100°C 以上,从而促进水和热管理,并提高整体效率。由于离子液体由体积庞大的带电分子组成,因此双电层的结构与水性电解质有很大的不同。为了阐明电解质-电极界面的纳米结构,我们采用原子力光谱学,并结合使用分子动力学的理论建模。我们对低酸性质子离子液体二乙基甲基铵三氟甲磺酸酯与铂(100)单晶接触的研究表明,在界面处存在交替的阴离子和阳离子层的层状结构,这与非质子离子液体的描述相同。结构双层取决于所施加的电极电势,并向液体中延伸数纳米,其中随着与界面的距离增加,刚性会降低。水的存在会扭曲分层结构,这反过来又会显著改变系统的电化学性能。我们的结果表明,对于低酸性离子液体,需要仔细调整水含量,以增强质子在催化电极之间的传输。