• 文献标题:   Molecular dynamics simulations of the structure of the graphene-ionic liquid/alkali salt mixtures interface
  • 文献类型:   Article
  • 作  者:   MENDEZMORALES T, CARRETE J, PEREZRODRIGUEZ M, CABEZA O, GALLEGO LJ, LYNDENBELL RM, VARELA LM
  • 作者关键词:  
  • 出版物名称:   PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY CHEMICAL PHYSICS
  • ISSN:   1463-9076 EI 1463-9084
  • 通讯作者地址:   Univ Santiago de Compostela
  • 被引频次:   38
  • DOI:   10.1039/c4cp00918e
  • 出版年:   2014

▎ 摘  要

We performed molecular dynamics simulations of mixtures of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate with lithium tetrafluoroborate and potassium tetrafluoroborate between two charged and uncharged graphene walls, in order to analyze the structure of the well-known formation of layers that takes place on liquids under confinement. For this purpose, we studied the molecular density profiles, free energy profiles for bringing lithium and potassium cations from the bulk mixture to the graphene wall and the orientational distributions of imidazolium rings within the first adsorbed layer as a function of salt concentration and electrode potential. The charge densities in the electrodes were chosen to be zero and +/- 1 e nm(-2), and the salt molar percentages were %(salt) = 0, 10 and 25. We found that the layered structure extends up to 1-2 nm, where the bulk behaviour is recovered. In addition, whereas for the neutral surface the layers are composed of both ionic species, increasing the electrode potential, the structure changes to alternating cationic and anionic layers leading to an overcompensation of the charge of the previous layer. We also calculated the distribution of angles of imidazolium rings near neutral and charged graphene walls, finding a limited influence of the added salt. In addition, the average tilt of the imidazolium ring within the first layer goes from 36 degrees with respect to a normal vector to the uncharged graphene wall to 62 degrees in the presence of charged walls. The free energy profiles revealed that lithium and potassium ions are adsorbed on the negative surface only for the highest amount of salt, since the free energy barriers for approaching this electrode are considerably higher than k(B)T.