A digital simulation study of steady-state voltammograms for the ion transfer across the liquid–liquid interface formed at the orifice of a micropipette

Electrostatic-Gated Kinetics of Rapid Ion Transfers at a Nano-liquid/Liquid Interface

Charge (ion and electron)-transfer reactions at a liquid/liquid interface are critical processes in many important biological and chemical systems. An ion-transfer (IT) process is usually very fast, making it difficult to accurately measure its kinetic parameters. Nano-liquid/liquid interfaces supported at nanopipettes are advantageous approaches to study the kinetics of such ultrafast IT processes due to their high mass transport rate. However, correct measurements of IT kinetic parameters at nanointerfaces supported at nanopipettes are inhibited by a lack of knowledge of the nanometer-sized interface geometry, influence of the electric double layer, wall charge polarity, etc. Herein, we propose a new electrochemical characterization equation for nanopipettes and make a suggestion on the shape of a nano-water/1,2-dichloroethane (nano-W/DCE) interface based on the characterization and calculation results. A theoretical model based on the Poisson-Nernst-Planck equation was applied to systematically study how the electric double layer influences the IT process of cations (TMA⁺, TEA⁺, TPrA⁺, ACh⁺) and anions (ClO₄^-, SCN^-, PF₆^-, BF₄^-) at the nano-W/DCE interface. The relationships between the wall charge conditions and distribution of concentration and potential inside the nanopipette revealed that the measured standard rate constant (k⁰) was enhanced when the polarity of the ionic species was opposite to the pipette wall charge and reduced when the same. This work lays the right foundation to obtain the kinetics at the nano-liquid/liquid interfaces.

Template-Free and Spontaneous Formation of Vertically Aligned Pd Nanofiber Arrays at the Liquid-Liquid Interface between Redox-Active Ionic Liquid and Water

Vertically aligned Pd nanofiber arrays (NFAs) have been prepared at the liquid-liquid interface between redox-active ionic liquid (RAIL) and water (W) via a template-free manner. The RAIL with high hydrophobicity, (ferrocenylmethyl)dodecyldimethylammonium bis(nonafluorobutanesulfonyl)amide, plays dual roles of reducing agent for Pd precursor ions and the hydrophobic liquid phase simultaneously, and the RAIL|W interface has been utilized as the formation site for the spontaneous growth of Pd NFAs. The Pd NFAs consist of three parts: layers formed by partly connected particles on the top, NFAs in the middle, and firm sheetlike layers on the bottom. Because of the top and bottom supporting layers, the antideformation ability and durability of the Pd NFAs with a length reaching several micrometers are enhanced. A possible mechanism for the formation of the Pd NFAs has been discussed. The Pd NFAs show a good stability and a higher electrocatalytic activity toward the ethanol oxidation reaction than a commercial Pd/C catalyst. The present study provides a new strategy for the template-free and spontaneous formation of Pd NFAs.

Janus-Type Gold/Polythiophene Composites Formed via Redox Reaction at the Ionic Liquid|Water Interface

Janus-type Au/polythiophene (PT) composites have been prepared by utilizing the liquid/liquid interface between water (W) and a hydrophobic ionic liquid (IL) as the redox reaction site. AuCl₄^- is reductively deposited, and terthiophene is oxidatively polymerized spacio-selectively at the IL|W interface, leading to the formation of the Au/PT composites. The composites are Janus-type Au-attached PT plates with two surface morphologies, flat surface and flowerlike surface at the W and IL sides of the plates at the IL|W interface, respectively. Not only surface morphologies but also attached Au structures are different at the two surfaces; Au microurchins on the flat surface and dendritic Au nanofibers on the flowerlike surface. Optical and scanning electron microscopic observations have revealed that nanofibers and microurchins are formed at the early and later stage of the reaction, respectively. Electrochemistry at the IL|W interface has illustrated that electron transfer across the IL|W interface during the formation of the Janus-type Au/PT composites is coupled with ion transfer of AuCl₄^- to compensate for the charge unbalance in the two liquid phases. AuCl₄^- transferred into IL is found to be the source of the dendritic Au nanofibers formed at the IL side of the PT plates.

Dendritic nanofibers of gold formed by the electron transfer at the interface between water and a highly hydrophobic ionic liquid

Novel nanostructures, dendritic nanofibers of gold, have been found to be formedviaan electron-transfer reaction at the ionic liquid–water interface, instead of the more conventional oil–water interface.

Simple Ion Transfer at Liquid|Liquid Interfaces

The main aspects related to the charge transfer reactions occurring at the interface between two immiscible electrolyte solutions (ITIES) are described. The particular topics to be discussed involve simple ion transfer. Focus is given on theoretical approaches, numerical simulations, and experimental methodologies. Concerning the theoretical procedures, different computational simulations related to simple ion transfer are reviewed. The main conclusions drawn from the most accepted models are described and analyzed in regard to their relevance for explaining different aspects of ion transfer. We describe numerical simulations implementing different approaches for solving the differential equations associated with the mass transport and charge transfer. These numerical simulations are correlated with selected experimental results; their usefulness in designing new experiments is summarized. Finally, many practical applications can be envisaged regarding the determination of physicochemical properties, electroanalysis, drug lipophilicity, and phase-transfer catalysis.

Nanopipet voltammetry of common ions across the liquid-liquid interface. Theory and limitations in kinetic analysis of nanoelectrode voltammograms

Finite element simulations of ion transfer (IT) reactions at the nanopipet-supported interface between two immiscible electrolyte solutions (ITIES) were carried out, and the numerical results were generalized in the form of an analytical approximation. The developed theory is the basis of a new approach to kinetic analysis of steady-state voltammograms of rapid IT reactions. Unlike the conventional voltammetric protocol, our approach requires the initial addition of a transferable ion to both liquid phases, i.e., to the filling solution inside a nanopipet and the external solution. The resulting steady-state IT voltammogram comprises two waves corresponding to the ingress of the common ion into the pipet and its egress into the external solution. We demonstrate that both ingress and egress waves are required for characterization of pipet geometry and precise determination of thermodynamic and kinetic parameters for rapid IT reactions. In this way, one can eliminate large uncertainties in kinetic parameters, which are inherent in the previously reported approaches to analysis of nearly reversible steady-state voltammograms of either IT at pipet-supported ITIES or electron transfer at solid electrodes. Numerical simulations also suggest that higher current density at the edge of the nanoscale ITIES increases the significance of electrostatic effects exerted by the charged inner surface of a pipet on IT processes.

Kinetic study of rapid transfer of tetraethylammonium at the 1,2-dichloroethane/water interface by nanopipet voltammetry of common ions

Steady-state voltammetry at the pipet-supported liquid/liquid interface has previously been used to measure kinetics of simple and facilitated ion transfer (IT) processes. Recently, we showed that the conventional experimental protocol and data analysis produce large uncertainties in kinetic parameters of rapid IT processes extracted from pipet voltammograms. Here, we used a new mode of nanopipet voltammetry, in which a transferable ion is initially present as a common ion in both liquid phases, and improved methodology for silanization of the outer pipet wall to investigate the kinetics of the rapid transfer of tetraethylammonium (TEA(+)) at the 1,2-dichloroethane/water interface. This reaction was often employed as a model system to check the IT theory. The determined standard rate constant and transfer coefficient of the TEA(+) transfer are compared with previously reported values to demonstrate limitations of conventional nanopipet voltammetry with a transferrable ion present only in one liquid phase.