Projects per year
Abstract
Video-rate atomic force microscopy (AFM) is used to study the near-surface nanostructure dynamics of the ionic liquid ethylammonium nitrate (EAN) at a highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) electrode as a function of potential in real-time for the first time. The effects of varying the surface potential and adding 10 wt% water on the nanostructure diffusion coefficient are probed. For both EAN and the 90 wt% EAN-water mixture, disk-like features ≈9 nm in diameter and 1 nm in height form above the Stern layer at all potentials. The nanostructure diffusion coefficient increases with potential (from OCP −0.5 V to OCP +0.5 V) and with added water. Nanostructure dynamics depends on both the magnitude and direction of the potential change. Upon switching the potential from OCP −0.5 V to OCP +0.5 V, a substantial increase in the diffusion coefficients is observed, likely due to the absence of solvophobic interactions between the nitrate (NO3−) anions and the ethylammonium (EA+) cations in the near-surface region. When the potential is reversed, EA+ is attracted to the Stern layer to replace NO3−, but its movement is hindered by solvophobic attractions. The outcomes will aid applications, including electrochemical devices, catalysts, and lubricants.
Original language | English |
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Journal | Small |
DOIs | |
Publication status | E-pub ahead of print - 8 Oct 2023 |
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Nanoscale Dynamics and Structure of SAILs at Electrodes
Atkin, R., Silvester-Dean, D., Warr, G., Costa Gomes, M. & Padua, A.
25/01/21 → 24/01/24
Project: Research
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Nanostructured Ionic-Molecular Hybrid Liquids
Warr, G., Atkin, R., Perkin, S. & Edlar, K.
1/01/20 → 31/12/23
Project: Research
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Quantitative Movies of Nanoscale Dynamics by Video Atomic Force Microscopy
Atkin, R., Swaminatha Iyer, K., Ludwig, M., Parish, G., Smith, N., Poinem, G., Hartley, P. & Parsons, D.
1/01/20 → 31/12/20
Project: Research