1
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Kastlunger G, Vijay S, Chen X, Sharma S, Peterson A. On the Thermodynamic Equivalence of Grand Canonical, Infinite-Size, and Capacitor-Based Models in First-Principle Electrochemistry. Chemphyschem 2024; 25:e202300950. [PMID: 38511569 DOI: 10.1002/cphc.202300950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2023] [Revised: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
First principles-based computational and theoretical methods are constantly evolving trying to overcome the many obstacles towards a comprehensive understanding of electrochemical processes on an atomistic level. One of the major challenges has been the determination of reaction energetics under a constant potential. Here, a theoretical framework was proposed applying standard electronic structure methods and extrapolating to the infinite-cell size limit where reactions do not alter the potential. Today, electronically grand canonical modifications to electronic structure methods, holding the potential constant by varying the number of electrons in a finite simulation cell, become increasingly popular. In this perspective, we show that these two schemes are thermodynamically equivalent. Further, we link these methods to capacitive models of the interface, in the limit that the capacitance of the charging components (whether continuum or atomistic) are equal and invariant along the reaction pathway. We benchmark the three approaches with an example of alkali cation adsorption on Pt(111) showing that all three approaches converge in the cases of Li, Na and K. For Cs, however, strong deviation from the ideal conditions leads to a spread in the respective results. We discuss the latter by highlighting the cases of broken equivalence and assumptions among the approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georg Kastlunger
- Catalysis Theory Center, Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, Fysikvej, 2800, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Sudarshan Vijay
- Catalysis Theory Center, Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, Fysikvej, 2800, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Xi Chen
- School of Engineering, Brown University, Hope Street, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Shubham Sharma
- School of Engineering, Brown University, Hope Street, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Andrew Peterson
- School of Engineering, Brown University, Hope Street, Providence, RI, USA
- Department of Energy Conversion and Storage, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Kgs., Lyngby, Denmark
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2
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Yang J, Todorova M, Neugebauer J. Comparative analysis of surface phase diagrams in aqueous environment: Implicit vs explicit solvation models. J Chem Phys 2024; 160:164715. [PMID: 38661195 DOI: 10.1063/5.0190304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Identifying the stable surface phases under a given electrochemical conditions serves as the basis for studying the atomistic mechanism of reactions at solid/water interfaces. In this work, we systematically compare the performance of the two main approaches that are used to capture the impact of an aqueous environment, implicit and explicit solvent, on surface energies and phase diagrams. As a model system, we consider the magnesium/water interface with (i) Ca substitution and (ii) proton and hydroxyl adsorption. We show that while the implicit solvent model is computationally very efficient, it suffers from two shortcomings. First, the choice of the implicit solvent parameters significantly influences the energy landscape in the vicinity of the surface. The default parameters benchmarked on solvation in water underestimate the energy of the dissolved Mg ion and lead to spontaneous dissolution of the surface atom, resulting in large differences in the surface energetics. Second, in systems containing a charged surface and a solvated ion, the implicit solvent model may not converge to the energetically stable ionic charge state but remain in a high-energy metastable configuration, representing the neutral charge state of the ion. When these two issues are addressed, surface phase diagrams that closely match the explicit water results can be obtained. This makes the implicit solvent model highly attractive as a computationally-efficient surrogate model to compute surface energies and phase diagrams.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Yang
- Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH, Max-Planck-Str. 1, 40237 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Mira Todorova
- Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH, Max-Planck-Str. 1, 40237 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Jörg Neugebauer
- Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH, Max-Planck-Str. 1, 40237 Düsseldorf, Germany
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3
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Bruch N, Binninger T, Huang J, Eikerling M. Incorporating Electrolyte Correlation Effects into Variational Models of Electrochemical Interfaces. J Phys Chem Lett 2024; 15:2015-2022. [PMID: 38349906 PMCID: PMC10895655 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.3c03295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2023] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024]
Abstract
We propose a way for obtaining a classical free energy density functional for electrolytes based on a first-principle many-body partition function. Via a one-loop expansion, we include coulombic correlations beyond the conventional mean-field approximation. To examine electrochemical interfaces, we integrate the electrolyte free energy functional into a hybrid quantum-classical model. This scheme self-consistently couples electronic, ionic, and solvent degrees of freedom and incorporates electrolyte correlation effects. The derived free energy functional causes a correlation-induced enhancement in interfacial counterion density and leads to an overall increase in capacitance. This effect is partially compensated by a reduction of the dielectric permittivity of interfacial water. At larger surface charge densities, ion crowding at the interface stifles these correlation effects. While scientifically intriguing already at planar interfaces, we anticipate these correlation effects to play an essential role for electrolytes in nanoconfinement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nils Bruch
- Theory
and Computation of Energy Materials (IEK-13), Institute of Energy
and Climate Research, Forschungszentrum
Jülich GmbH, 52425, Jülich, Germany
- Chair
of Theory and Computation of Energy Materials, Faculty of Georesources
and Materials Engineering, RWTH Aachen University, 52062, Aachen Germany
| | - Tobias Binninger
- Theory
and Computation of Energy Materials (IEK-13), Institute of Energy
and Climate Research, Forschungszentrum
Jülich GmbH, 52425, Jülich, Germany
| | - Jun Huang
- Theory
and Computation of Energy Materials (IEK-13), Institute of Energy
and Climate Research, Forschungszentrum
Jülich GmbH, 52425, Jülich, Germany
- Chair
of Theory and Computation of Energy Materials, Faculty of Georesources
and Materials Engineering, RWTH Aachen University, 52062, Aachen Germany
| | - Michael Eikerling
- Theory
and Computation of Energy Materials (IEK-13), Institute of Energy
and Climate Research, Forschungszentrum
Jülich GmbH, 52425, Jülich, Germany
- Chair
of Theory and Computation of Energy Materials, Faculty of Georesources
and Materials Engineering, RWTH Aachen University, 52062, Aachen Germany
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4
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Cao H, Lv X, Qian S, Li J, Wang YG. Constant Potential Thermodynamic Integration for Obtaining the Free Energy Profile of Electrochemical Reaction. J Phys Chem Lett 2024; 15:1314-1320. [PMID: 38285648 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.3c03318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2024]
Abstract
In this work, we advanced an efficient free energy sampling method based on constrained ab initio molecular dynamics (cAIMD) with a fully explicit solvent layer to depict the electrochemical reaction process at constant surface charge density, named the "Constant-Potential Thermodynamic Integration (CPTI)" method. For automatically adjusting surface charge density at different states, we built an "on-the-fly" procedure which is capable of managing all the necessary steps during cAIMD simulations, including the system pre-equilibrium, surface charge density updating, and force sampling. We applied it to predict the potential-dependent free energy profiles of CO2 adsorption on a single-atom catalyst. The results show that our method can not only account for changes in electrostatic potential energy associated with potential but also consider the potential-induced solvation effects. Our approach enables the accurate simulation of electrochemical environment by presenting the complete solid-liquid interface and efficient computation of electrocatalytic reaction energetics based on a robust potential descriptor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Cao
- Department of Chemistry, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
| | - Xinmao Lv
- Department of Chemistry, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
| | - Shengjie Qian
- Department of Chemistry, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
| | - Jun Li
- Department of Chemistry, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
- Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University and Key Laboratory of Organic Optoelectronics & Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Yang-Gang Wang
- Department of Chemistry, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
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5
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Islam SMR, Khezeli F, Ringe S, Plaisance C. An implicit electrolyte model for plane wave density functional theory exhibiting nonlinear response and a nonlocal cavity definition. J Chem Phys 2023; 159:234117. [PMID: 38112507 DOI: 10.1063/5.0176308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023] Open
Abstract
We have developed and implemented an implicit electrolyte model in the Vienna Ab initio Simulation Package (VASP) that includes nonlinear dielectric and ionic responses as well as a nonlocal definition of the cavities defining the spatial regions where these responses can occur. The implementation into the existing VASPsol code is numerically efficient and exhibits robust convergence, requiring computational effort only slightly higher than the original linear polarizable continuum model. The nonlinear + nonlocal model is able to reproduce the characteristic "double hump" shape observed experimentally for the differential capacitance of an electrified metal interface while preventing "leakage" of the electrolyte into regions of space too small to contain a single water molecule or solvated ion. The model also gives a reasonable prediction of molecular solvation free energies as well as the self-ionization free energy of water and the absolute electron chemical potential of the standard hydrogen electrode. All of this, combined with the additional ability to run constant potential density functional theory calculations, should enable the routine computation of activation barriers for electrocatalytic processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- S M Rezwanul Islam
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803, USA
| | - Foroogh Khezeli
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803, USA
| | - Stefan Ringe
- Department of Chemistry, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Craig Plaisance
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803, USA
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6
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M V, Singh S, Bononi F, Andreussi O, Karmodak N. Thermodynamic and kinetic modeling of electrocatalytic reactions using a first-principles approach. J Chem Phys 2023; 159:111001. [PMID: 37728202 DOI: 10.1063/5.0165835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The computational modeling of electrochemical interfaces and their applications in electrocatalysis has attracted great attention in recent years. While tremendous progress has been made in this area, however, the accurate atomistic descriptions at the electrode/electrolyte interfaces remain a great challenge. The Computational Hydrogen Electrode (CHE) method and continuum modeling of the solvent and electrolyte interactions form the basis for most of these methodological developments. Several posterior corrections have been added to the CHE method to improve its accuracy and widen its applications. The most recently developed grand canonical potential approaches with the embedded diffuse layer models have shown considerable improvement in defining interfacial interactions at electrode/electrolyte interfaces over the state-of-the-art computational models for electrocatalysis. In this Review, we present an overview of these different computational models developed over the years to quantitatively probe the thermodynamics and kinetics of electrochemical reactions in the presence of an electrified catalyst surface under various electrochemical environments. We begin our discussion by giving a brief picture of the different continuum solvation approaches, implemented within the ab initio method to effectively model the solvent and electrolyte interactions. Next, we present the thermodynamic and kinetic modeling approaches to determine the activity and stability of the electrocatalysts. A few applications to these approaches are also discussed. We conclude by giving an outlook on the different machine learning models that have been integrated with the thermodynamic approaches to improve their efficiency and widen their applicability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vasanthapandiyan M
- Department of Chemistry, Shiv Nadar Institution of Eminence, Dadri, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Uttar Pradesh 201314, India
| | - Shagun Singh
- Department of Chemistry, Shiv Nadar Institution of Eminence, Dadri, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Uttar Pradesh 201314, India
| | - Fernanda Bononi
- Department of Physics, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas 76203, USA
| | - Oliviero Andreussi
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Boise State University, Boise, Idaho 83725, USA
| | - Naiwrit Karmodak
- Department of Chemistry, Shiv Nadar Institution of Eminence, Dadri, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Uttar Pradesh 201314, India
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7
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Ringe S. The importance of a charge transfer descriptor for screening potential CO 2 reduction electrocatalysts. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2598. [PMID: 37147278 PMCID: PMC10162986 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37929-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/07/2023] Open
Abstract
It has been over twenty years since the linear scaling of reaction intermediate adsorption energies started to coin the fields of heterogeneous and electrocatalysis as a blessing and a curse at the same time. It has established the possibility to construct activity volcano plots as a function of a single or two readily accessible adsorption energies as descriptors, but also limited the maximal catalytic conversion rate. In this work, it is found that these established adsorption energy-based descriptor spaces are not applicable to electrochemistry, because they are lacking an important additional dimension, the potential of zero charge. This extra dimension arises from the interaction of the electric double layer with reaction intermediates which does not scale with adsorption energies. At the example of the electrochemical reduction of CO2 it is shown that the addition of this descriptor breaks the scaling relations, opening up a huge chemical space that is readily accessible via potential of zero charge-based material design. The potential of zero charge also explains product selectivity trends of electrochemical CO2 reduction in close agreement with reported experimental data highlighting its importance for electrocatalyst design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Ringe
- Department of Chemistry, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea.
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8
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First-principles theory of electrochemical capacitance. Electrochim Acta 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.electacta.2023.142016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
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9
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Vijay S, Kastlunger G, Gauthier JA, Patel A, Chan K. Force-Based Method to Determine the Potential Dependence in Electrochemical Barriers. J Phys Chem Lett 2022; 13:5719-5725. [PMID: 35713626 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.2c01367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Determining ab initio potential-dependent energetics is critical to the investigation of mechanisms for electrochemical reactions. While methodology for evaluating reaction thermodynamics is established, simulation techniques for the corresponding kinetics is still a major challenge owing to a lack of potential control, finite cell size effects, or computational expense. In this work, we develop a model that allows for computing electrochemical activation energies from just a handful of density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The sole input into the model are the atom-centered forces obtained from DFT calculations performed on a homogeneous grid composed of varying field strengths. We show that the activation energies as a function of the potential obtained from our model are consistent for different supercell sizes and proton concentrations for a range of electrochemical reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sudarshan Vijay
- CatTheory, Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Georg Kastlunger
- CatTheory, Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Joseph A Gauthier
- Chemical Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 94720 Berkeley, California, United States
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, 94720 Berkeley, California, United States
| | - Anjli Patel
- SUNCAT Center for Interface Science and Catalysis, Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, 94305 Stanford, California, United States
| | - Karen Chan
- CatTheory, Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
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10
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Aziz A, Carrasco J. Modelling magnesium surfaces and their dissolution in an aqueous environment using an implicit solvent model.. J Chem Phys 2022; 156:174702. [DOI: 10.1063/5.0087683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Magnesium has attracted a growing interest for its use in various applications, primarily due to its, abundance, lightweight properties and relatively low-cost. However, one major drawback to its widespread use remains its reactivity in aqueous environments, which is poorly understood at the atomistic level. Ab initio density functional theory methods are particularly well suited to bridge this knowledge gap, but the explicit simulation of electrified water/metal interfaces is often too costly from a computational viewpoint. Here we investigate water/Mg interfaces using the computationally efficient implicit solvent model VASPsol. We show that the Mg (0001), (10-10), and (10-11) surfaces each form different electrochemical double layers due to the anisotropic smoothing of the electron density at their surfaces, following Smoluchowski rules. We highlight the dependence that the position of the diffuse cavity surrounding the interface has on the potential of zero charge and the electron double layer capacitance, and how these parameters are also affected by the addition of explicated water and adsorbed OH. Lastly, we calculate the equilibrium potential of Mg2+ / Mg0 in an aqueous environment as 2.46 V vs. standard hydrogen electrode in excellent agreement with experiment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Javier Carrasco
- Power Storage: Batteries and Supercaps, CIC energiGUNE, Spain
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11
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Warburton RE, Soudackov AV, Hammes-Schiffer S. Theoretical Modeling of Electrochemical Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer. Chem Rev 2022; 122:10599-10650. [PMID: 35230812 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.1c00929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) plays an essential role in a wide range of electrocatalytic processes. A vast array of theoretical and computational methods have been developed to study electrochemical PCET. These methods can be used to calculate redox potentials and pKa values for molecular electrocatalysts, proton-coupled redox potentials and bond dissociation free energies for PCET at metal and semiconductor interfaces, and reorganization energies associated with electrochemical PCET. Periodic density functional theory can also be used to compute PCET activation energies and perform molecular dynamics simulations of electrochemical interfaces. Various approaches for maintaining a constant electrode potential in electronic structure calculations and modeling complex interactions in the electric double layer (EDL) have been developed. Theoretical formulations for both homogeneous and heterogeneous electrochemical PCET spanning the adiabatic, nonadiabatic, and solvent-controlled regimes have been developed and provide analytical expressions for the rate constants and current densities as functions of applied potential. The quantum mechanical treatment of the proton and inclusion of excited vibronic states have been shown to be critical for describing experimental data, such as Tafel slopes and potential-dependent kinetic isotope effects. The calculated rate constants can be used as input to microkinetic models and voltammogram simulations to elucidate complex electrocatalytic processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert E Warburton
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University, 225 Prospect Street, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, United States
| | - Alexander V Soudackov
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University, 225 Prospect Street, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, United States
| | - Sharon Hammes-Schiffer
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University, 225 Prospect Street, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, United States
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12
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Hagopian A, Doublet ML, Filhol JS, Binninger T. Advancement of the Homogeneous Background Method for the Computational Simulation of Electrochemical Interfaces. J Chem Theory Comput 2022; 18:1883-1893. [PMID: 35170945 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.1c01237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Computational studies of electrochemical interfaces based on density-functional theory (DFT) play an increasingly important role in the present research on electrochemical processes for energy conversion and storage. The homogeneous background method (HBM) offers a straightforward approach to charge the electrochemical system within DFT simulations, but it typically requires the specification of the active fraction of excess electrons based on a certain choice of the electrode-electrolyte boundary location, which can be difficult in the presence of electrode-surface adsorbates or explicit solvent molecules. In this work, we present a methodological advancement of the HBM, both facilitating and extending its applicability. The advanced version requires neither energy corrections nor the specification of the active fraction of excess electrons, providing a versatile and readily available method for the simulation of charged interfaces when adsorbates or explicit solvent molecules are present. Our computational DFT results for Pt(111), Au(111), and Li(100) metal electrodes in high-dielectric-constant solvents demonstrate an excellent agreement in the interfacial charging characteristics obtained from simulations with the advanced HBM in comparison with the (linearized) Poisson-Boltzmann model (PBM).
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Affiliation(s)
- Arthur Hagopian
- ICGM, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, ENSCM, 34293 Montpellier, France.,Réseau sur le Stockage Electrochimique de l'Energie (RS2E), FR CNRS 3459, Hub de l'Energie, 80039 Amiens, France
| | - Marie-Liesse Doublet
- ICGM, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, ENSCM, 34293 Montpellier, France.,Réseau sur le Stockage Electrochimique de l'Energie (RS2E), FR CNRS 3459, Hub de l'Energie, 80039 Amiens, France
| | - Jean-Sébastien Filhol
- ICGM, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, ENSCM, 34293 Montpellier, France.,Réseau sur le Stockage Electrochimique de l'Energie (RS2E), FR CNRS 3459, Hub de l'Energie, 80039 Amiens, France
| | - Tobias Binninger
- ICGM, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, ENSCM, 34293 Montpellier, France.,Réseau sur le Stockage Electrochimique de l'Energie (RS2E), FR CNRS 3459, Hub de l'Energie, 80039 Amiens, France
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13
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Abstract
Structures and processes at water/metal interfaces play an important technological role in electrochemical energy conversion and storage, photoconversion, sensors, and corrosion, just to name a few. However, they are also of fundamental significance as a model system for the study of solid-liquid interfaces, which requires combining concepts from the chemistry and physics of crystalline materials and liquids. Particularly interesting is the fact that the water-water and water-metal interactions are of similar strength so that the structures at water/metal interfaces result from a competition between these comparable interactions. Because water is a polar molecule and water and metal surfaces are both polarizable, explicit consideration of the electronic degrees of freedom at water/metal interfaces is mandatory. In principle, ab initio molecular dynamics simulations are thus the method of choice to model water/metal interfaces, but they are computationally still rather demanding. Here, ab initio simulations of water/metal interfaces will be reviewed, starting from static systems such as the adsorption of single water molecules, water clusters, and icelike layers, followed by the properties of liquid water layers at metal surfaces. Technical issues such as the appropriate first-principles description of the water-water and water-metal interactions will be discussed, and electrochemical aspects will be addressed. Finally, more approximate but numerically less demanding approaches to treat water at metal surfaces from first-principles will be briefly discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Axel Groß
- Institute of Theoretical Chemistry, Ulm University, 89069 Ulm, Germany.,Electrochemical Energy Storage, Helmholtz Institute Ulm (HIU), 89069 Ulm, Germany
| | - Sung Sakong
- Institute of Theoretical Chemistry, Ulm University, 89069 Ulm, Germany
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14
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Karmodak N, Bursi L, Andreussi O. Oxygen Evolution and Reduction on Two-Dimensional Transition Metal Dichalcogenides. J Phys Chem Lett 2022; 13:58-65. [PMID: 34958230 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.1c03431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Motivated by the need to find good electrocatalysts for water oxidation and O2 reduction, composed of nontoxic and earth-abundant elements, a systematic screening of two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) is performed. To identify compounds that are intrinsically active and can fully take advantage of the high surface area of 2D catalysts, this study focuses on the properties of the ideal basal planes of 2D TMDCs, in the 2H, 1T, and 1T' phases. Over two hundred materials proposed in computational databases are studied by means of first-principles-based simulations coupled with continuum embedding models to account for the presence of electrochemical environments. The best candidates with overpotentials for the oxygen evolution and reduction reactions (OER and ORR) lower than 0.5 V under acidic conditions and higher stability against degradation in electrochemical environments are selected. For OER, the designed workflow identifies one active and thermodynamically stable material, and seven materials that are metastable at the oxidative potentials and acidic pH. On the other hand, for ORR, we identify 20 materials with overpotentials less than 0.5 V. Among these compounds, six bifunctional materials have been experimentally reported, with 1T-NbTe2 and 1T'-MoTe2 being the best performing catalysts for OER and ORR, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naiwrit Karmodak
- Department of Physics, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas 76 203, United States
| | - Luca Bursi
- Department of Physics, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas 76 203, United States
| | - Oliviero Andreussi
- Department of Physics, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas 76 203, United States
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15
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Li J, Jiang X, Khan F, Ye X, Wang S, Chen J. Field deployable impedance-based corrosion sensor. Sci Rep 2022; 12:236. [PMID: 34996955 PMCID: PMC8742064 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-03840-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) has been used in various applications, such as metal corrosion monitoring. However, many conventional corrosion monitoring setups are bulky and inconvenient for in-situ testing. The purpose of this work is to reduce the size of the whole corrosion monitoring system. We utilized EIS to design a field deployable impedance-based corrosion sensor (FDICS), capable of performing in-situ EIS analysis. Experiments verified the sensor’s accuracy, and the results showed that the sensor performed similarly to a bench-top EIS machine when we tested on circuit models. Furthermore, we used the proposed FDICS to monitor a metal corrosion experiment and performed EIS. The result showed that the proposed FDICS is able to obtain the sample’s impedance spectroscopy, which could help researchers test its corrosion severity on a metallic sample in-situ. Compared to other bulky conventional setups, our device eliminates the design complexity while still showing insights into the corrosion reaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiajun Li
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering Research Facility, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2V4, Canada
| | - Xiaoxue Jiang
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering Research Facility, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2V4, Canada
| | - Faheem Khan
- Fourien Inc., 4407, 68 Ave NW, Edmonton, AB, T6B 2N2, Canada
| | - Xuanjie Ye
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering Research Facility, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2V4, Canada
| | - Shuren Wang
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering Research Facility, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2V4, Canada
| | - Jie Chen
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering Research Facility, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2V4, Canada.
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16
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Ringe S, Hörmann NG, Oberhofer H, Reuter K. Implicit Solvation Methods for Catalysis at Electrified Interfaces. Chem Rev 2021; 122:10777-10820. [PMID: 34928131 PMCID: PMC9227731 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.1c00675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
![]()
Implicit solvation
is an effective, highly coarse-grained approach
in atomic-scale simulations to account for a surrounding liquid electrolyte
on the level of a continuous polarizable medium. Originating in molecular
chemistry with finite solutes, implicit solvation techniques are now
increasingly used in the context of first-principles modeling of electrochemistry
and electrocatalysis at extended (often metallic) electrodes. The
prevalent ansatz to model the latter electrodes and the reactive surface
chemistry at them through slabs in periodic boundary condition supercells
brings its specific challenges. Foremost this concerns the difficulty
of describing the entire double layer forming at the electrified solid–liquid
interface (SLI) within supercell sizes tractable by commonly employed
density functional theory (DFT). We review liquid solvation methodology
from this specific application angle, highlighting in particular its
use in the widespread ab initio thermodynamics approach
to surface catalysis. Notably, implicit solvation can be employed
to mimic a polarization of the electrode’s electronic density
under the applied potential and the concomitant capacitive charging
of the entire double layer beyond the limitations of the employed
DFT supercell. Most critical for continuing advances of this effective
methodology for the SLI context is the lack of pertinent (experimental
or high-level theoretical) reference data needed for parametrization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Ringe
- Department of Energy Science and Engineering, Daegu Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), Daegu 42988, Republic of Korea.,Energy Science & Engineering Research Center, Daegu Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), Daegu 42988, Republic of Korea
| | - Nicolas G Hörmann
- Fritz-Haber-Institut der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, Faradayweg 4-6, D-14195 Berlin, Germany.,Chair for Theoretical Chemistry and Catalysis Research Center, Technische Universität München, Lichtenbergstraße 4, D-85747 Garching, Germany
| | - Harald Oberhofer
- Chair for Theoretical Chemistry and Catalysis Research Center, Technische Universität München, Lichtenbergstraße 4, D-85747 Garching, Germany.,Chair for Theoretical Physics VII and Bavarian Center for Battery Technology (BayBatt), University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Karsten Reuter
- Fritz-Haber-Institut der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, Faradayweg 4-6, D-14195 Berlin, Germany
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17
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Corti HR, Appignanesi GA, Barbosa MC, Bordin JR, Calero C, Camisasca G, Elola MD, Franzese G, Gallo P, Hassanali A, Huang K, Laria D, Menéndez CA, de Oca JMM, Longinotti MP, Rodriguez J, Rovere M, Scherlis D, Szleifer I. Structure and dynamics of nanoconfined water and aqueous solutions. THE EUROPEAN PHYSICAL JOURNAL. E, SOFT MATTER 2021; 44:136. [PMID: 34779954 DOI: 10.1140/epje/s10189-021-00136-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
This review is devoted to discussing recent progress on the structure, thermodynamic, reactivity, and dynamics of water and aqueous systems confined within different types of nanopores, synthetic and biological. Currently, this is a branch of water science that has attracted enormous attention of researchers from different fields interested to extend the understanding of the anomalous properties of bulk water to the nanoscopic domain. From a fundamental perspective, the interactions of water and solutes with a confining surface dramatically modify the liquid's structure and, consequently, both its thermodynamical and dynamical behaviors, breaking the validity of the classical thermodynamic and phenomenological description of the transport properties of aqueous systems. Additionally, man-made nanopores and porous materials have emerged as promising solutions to challenging problems such as water purification, biosensing, nanofluidic logic and gating, and energy storage and conversion, while aquaporin, ion channels, and nuclear pore complex nanopores regulate many biological functions such as the conduction of water, the generation of action potentials, and the storage of genetic material. In this work, the more recent experimental and molecular simulations advances in this exciting and rapidly evolving field will be reported and critically discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Horacio R Corti
- Departmento de Física de la Materia Condensada & Instituto de Nanociencia y Nanotecnología (CNEA-CONICET), Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica, B1650LWP, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Gustavo A Appignanesi
- INQUISUR, Departamento de Química, Universidad Nacional del Sur (UNS)-CONICET, 8000, Bahía Blanca, Argentina
| | - Marcia C Barbosa
- Institute of Physics, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, 91501-970, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - J Rafael Bordin
- Department of Physics, Institute of Physics and Mathematics, 96050-500, Pelotas, RS, Brazil
| | - Carles Calero
- Secció de Física Estadística i Interdisciplinària - Departament de Física de la Matèria Condensada, Universitat de Barcelona & Institut de Nanociència i Nanotecnologia (IN2UB), Universitat de Barcelona, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Gaia Camisasca
- Dipartimento di Matematica e Fisica, Università degli Studi Roma Tre, 00146, Roma, Italy
| | - M Dolores Elola
- Departmento de Física de la Materia Condensada & Instituto de Nanociencia y Nanotecnología (CNEA-CONICET), Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica, B1650LWP, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Giancarlo Franzese
- Secció de Física Estadística i Interdisciplinària - Departament de Física de la Matèria Condensada, Universitat de Barcelona & Institut de Nanociència i Nanotecnologia (IN2UB), Universitat de Barcelona, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Paola Gallo
- Dipartimento di Matematica e Fisica, Università degli Studi Roma Tre, 00146, Roma, Italy
| | - Ali Hassanali
- Condensed Matter and Statistical Physics Section (CMSP), The International Center for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), Trieste, Italy
| | - Kai Huang
- Institute of Systems and Physical Biology, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Daniel Laria
- Departmento de Física de la Materia Condensada & Instituto de Nanociencia y Nanotecnología (CNEA-CONICET), Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica, B1650LWP, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Instituto de Química Física de los Materiales, Medio Ambiente y Energía (INQUIMAE-CONICET), Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Cintia A Menéndez
- INQUISUR, Departamento de Química, Universidad Nacional del Sur (UNS)-CONICET, 8000, Bahía Blanca, Argentina
| | - Joan M Montes de Oca
- INQUISUR, Departamento de Química, Universidad Nacional del Sur (UNS)-CONICET, 8000, Bahía Blanca, Argentina
| | - M Paula Longinotti
- Instituto de Química Física de los Materiales, Medio Ambiente y Energía (INQUIMAE-CONICET), Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Javier Rodriguez
- Departmento de Física de la Materia Condensada & Instituto de Nanociencia y Nanotecnología (CNEA-CONICET), Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica, B1650LWP, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Escuela de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad Nacional de General San Martín, San Martín, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Mauro Rovere
- Dipartimento di Matematica e Fisica, Università degli Studi Roma Tre, 00146, Roma, Italy
| | - Damián Scherlis
- Instituto de Química Física de los Materiales, Medio Ambiente y Energía (INQUIMAE-CONICET), Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Igal Szleifer
- Biomedical Engineering Department, Northwestern University, Evanston, USA
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18
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Bhandari A, Peng C, Dziedzic J, Anton L, Owen JR, Kramer D, Skylaris CK. Electrochemistry from first-principles in the grand canonical ensemble. J Chem Phys 2021; 155:024114. [PMID: 34266248 DOI: 10.1063/5.0056514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Progress in electrochemical technologies, such as automotive batteries, supercapacitors, and fuel cells, depends greatly on developing improved charged interfaces between electrodes and electrolytes. The rational development of such interfaces can benefit from the atomistic understanding of the materials involved by first-principles quantum mechanical simulations with Density Functional Theory (DFT). However, such simulations are typically performed on the electrode surface in the absence of its electrolyte environment and at constant charge. We have developed a new hybrid computational method combining DFT and the Poisson-Boltzmann equation (P-BE) capable of simulating experimental electrochemistry under potential control in the presence of a solvent and an electrolyte. The charged electrode is represented quantum-mechanically via linear-scaling DFT, which can model nanoscale systems with thousands of atoms and is neutralized by a counter electrolyte charge via the solution of a modified P-BE. Our approach works with the total free energy of the combined multiscale system in a grand canonical ensemble of electrons subject to a constant electrochemical potential. It is calibrated with respect to the reduction potential of common reference electrodes, such as the standard hydrogen electrode and the Li metal electrode, which is used as a reference electrode in Li-ion batteries. Our new method can be used to predict electrochemical properties under constant potential, and we demonstrate this in exemplar simulations of the differential capacitance of few-layer graphene electrodes and the charging of a graphene electrode coupled to a Li metal electrode at different voltages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arihant Bhandari
- School of Chemistry, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
| | - Chao Peng
- Engineering Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
| | - Jacek Dziedzic
- School of Chemistry, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
| | - Lucian Anton
- Atos UK, 71 High Holborn London WC1V 6EA, United Kingdom
| | - John R Owen
- School of Chemistry, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
| | - Denis Kramer
- Engineering Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
| | - Chris-Kriton Skylaris
- School of Chemistry, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
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19
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Yang X, Zhuang Y, Zhu J, Le J, Cheng J. Recent progress on multiscale modeling of electrochemistry. WIRES COMPUTATIONAL MOLECULAR SCIENCE 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/wcms.1559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Xiao‐Hui Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces iChEM, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University Xiamen China
| | - Yong‐Bin Zhuang
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces iChEM, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University Xiamen China
| | - Jia‐Xin Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces iChEM, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University Xiamen China
| | - Jia‐Bo Le
- Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering Chinese Academy of Sciences Ningbo China
| | - Jun Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces iChEM, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University Xiamen China
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20
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Hörmann NG, Reuter K. Thermodynamic cyclic voltammograms: peak positions and shapes. JOURNAL OF PHYSICS. CONDENSED MATTER : AN INSTITUTE OF PHYSICS JOURNAL 2021; 33:264004. [PMID: 33848987 DOI: 10.1088/1361-648x/abf7a1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Based on a mean-field description of thermodynamic cyclic voltammograms (CVs), we analyze here in full generality, how CV peak positions and shapes are related to the underlying interface energetics, in particular when also including electrostatic double layer (DL) effects. We show in particular, how non-Nernstian behaviour is related to capacitive DL charging, and how this relates to common adsorbate-centered interpretations such as a changed adsorption energetics due to dipole-field interactions and the electrosorption valency - the number of exchanged electrons upon electrosorption per adsorbate. Using Ag(111) in halide-containing solutions as test case, we demonstrate that DL effects can introduce peak shifts that are already explained by rationalizing the interaction of isolated adsorbates with the interfacial fields, while alterations of the peak shape are mainly driven by the coverage-dependence of the adsorbate dipoles. In addition, we analyze in detail how changing the experimental conditions such as the ion concentrations in the solvent but also of the background electrolyte can affect the CV peaks via their impact on the potential drop in the DL and the DL capacitance, respectively. These results suggest new routes to analyze experimental CVs and use of those for a detailed assessment of the accuracy of atomistic models of electrified interfaces e.g. with and without explicitly treated interfacial solvent and/or approximate implicit solvent models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Georg Hörmann
- Theoretical Chemistry, Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Lichtenbergstraße 4, Garching, DE 85748, Germany
- Theory, Fritz-Haber-Institut der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, Faradayweg 4-6, Berlin, DE 14195, Germany
| | - Karsten Reuter
- Theory, Fritz-Haber-Institut der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, Faradayweg 4-6, Berlin, DE 14195, Germany
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21
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Herbert JM. Dielectric continuum methods for quantum chemistry. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-COMPUTATIONAL MOLECULAR SCIENCE 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/wcms.1519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- John M. Herbert
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry The Ohio State University Columbus Ohio USA
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22
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Goldsmith ZK, Calegari Andrade MF, Selloni A. Effects of applied voltage on water at a gold electrode interface from ab initio molecular dynamics. Chem Sci 2021; 12:5865-5873. [PMID: 34168811 PMCID: PMC8179682 DOI: 10.1039/d1sc00354b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Electrode–water interfaces under voltage bias demonstrate anomalous electrostatic and structural properties that are influential in their catalytic and technological applications. Mean-field and empirical models of the electrical double layer (EDL) that forms in response to an applied potential do not capture the heterogeneity that polarizable, liquid-phase water molecules engender. To illustrate the inhomogeneous nature of the electrochemical interface, Born–Oppenheimer ab initio molecular dynamics calculations of electrified Au(111) slabs interfaced with liquid water were performed using a combined explicit–implicit solvent approach. The excess charges localized on the model electrode were held constant and the electrode potentials were computed at frequent simulation times. The electrode potential in each trajectory fluctuated with changes in the atomic structure, and the trajectory-averaged potentials converged and yielded a physically reasonable differential capacitance for the system. The effects of the average applied voltages, both positive and negative, on the structural, hydrogen bonding, dynamical, and vibrational properties of water were characterized and compared to literature where applicable. Controlled-potential simulations of the interfacial solvent dynamics provide a framework for further investigation of more complex or reactive species in the EDL and broadly for understanding electrochemical interfaces in situ. Ab initio molecular dynamics of an aqueous electrode interface reveal the electrostatic, structural, and dynamic effects of quantifiable voltage biases on water.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Annabella Selloni
- Department of Chemistry, Princeton University Princeton NJ 08544 USA
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23
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Hörmann NG, Reuter K. Thermodynamic Cyclic Voltammograms Based on Ab Initio Calculations: Ag(111) in Halide-Containing Solutions. J Chem Theory Comput 2021; 17:1782-1794. [PMID: 33606513 PMCID: PMC8023662 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.0c01166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
![]()
Cyclic voltammograms
(CVs) are a central experimental tool for
assessing the structure and activity of electrochemical interfaces.
Based on a mean-field ansatz for the interface energetics under applied
potential conditions, we here derive an ab initio thermodynamics approach to efficiently simulate thermodynamic CVs.
All unknown parameters are determined from density functional theory
(DFT) calculations coupled to an implicit solvent model. For the showcased
CVs of Ag(111) electrodes in halide-anion-containing solutions, these
simulations demonstrate the relevance of double-layer contributions
to explain experimentally observed differences in peak shapes over
the halide series. Only the appropriate account of interfacial charging
allows us to capture the differences in equilibrium coverage and total
electronic surface charge that cause the varying peak shapes. As a
case in point, this analysis demonstrates that prominent features
in CVs do not only derive from changes in adsorbate structure or coverage
but can also be related to variations of the electrosorption valency.
Such double-layer effects are proportional to adsorbate-induced changes
in the work function and/or interfacial capacitance. They are thus
especially pronounced for electronegative halides and other adsorbates
that affect these interface properties. In addition, the analysis
allows us to draw conclusions on how the possible inaccuracy of implicit
solvation models can indirectly affect the accuracy of other predicted
quantities such as CVs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas G Hörmann
- Chair of Theoretical Chemistry and Catalysis Research Center, Technische Universität München, Lichtenbergstr. 4, 85748 Garching, Germany.,Fritz-Haber-Institut der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, Faradayweg 4-6, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Karsten Reuter
- Fritz-Haber-Institut der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, Faradayweg 4-6, 14195 Berlin, Germany
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24
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Swift MW, Swift JW, Qi Y. Modeling the electrical double layer at solid-state electrochemical interfaces. NATURE COMPUTATIONAL SCIENCE 2021; 1:212-220. [PMID: 38183191 DOI: 10.1038/s43588-021-00041-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 02/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Models of the electrical double layer (EDL) at electrode/liquid-electrolyte interfaces no longer hold for all-solid-state electrochemistry. Here we show a more general model for the EDL at a solid-state electrochemical interface based on the Poisson-Fermi-Dirac equation. By combining this model with density functional theory predictions, the interconnected electronic and ionic degrees of freedom in all-solid-state batteries, including the electronic band bending and defect concentration variation in the space-charge layer, are captured self-consistently. Along with a general mathematical solution, the EDL structure is presented in various materials that are thermodynamically stable in contact with a lithium metal anode: the solid electrolyte Li7La3Zr2O12 (LLZO) and the solid interlayer materials LiF, Li2O and Li2CO3. The model further allows design of the optimum interlayer thicknesses to minimize the electrostatic barrier for lithium ion transport at relevant solid-state battery interfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael W Swift
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.
| | - James W Swift
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA.
| | - Yue Qi
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.
- School of Engineering, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
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25
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Bhandari A, Anton L, Dziedzic J, Peng C, Kramer D, Skylaris CK. Electronic structure calculations in electrolyte solutions: Methods for neutralization of extended charged interfaces. J Chem Phys 2020; 153:124101. [DOI: 10.1063/5.0021210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Arihant Bhandari
- School of Chemistry, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
- The Faraday Institution, Quad One, Becquerel Avenue, Harwell Campus, Didcot OX11 0RA, United Kingdom
| | - Lucian Anton
- CCFE, Culham Science Centre, Abingdon, United Kingdom
| | - Jacek Dziedzic
- School of Chemistry, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
- The Faraday Institution, Quad One, Becquerel Avenue, Harwell Campus, Didcot OX11 0RA, United Kingdom
- Faculty of Applied Physics and Mathematics, Gdańsk University of Technology, Gdańsk 80-233, Poland
| | - Chao Peng
- The Faraday Institution, Quad One, Becquerel Avenue, Harwell Campus, Didcot OX11 0RA, United Kingdom
- Engineering Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
| | - Denis Kramer
- The Faraday Institution, Quad One, Becquerel Avenue, Harwell Campus, Didcot OX11 0RA, United Kingdom
- Engineering Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
- Helmut-Schmidt-University, University of the Armed Forces, 22043 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Chris-Kriton Skylaris
- School of Chemistry, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
- The Faraday Institution, Quad One, Becquerel Avenue, Harwell Campus, Didcot OX11 0RA, United Kingdom
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26
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Schwarz K, Sundararaman R. The electrochemical interface in first-principles calculations. SURFACE SCIENCE REPORTS 2020; 75:10.1016/j.surfrep.2020.100492. [PMID: 34194128 PMCID: PMC8240516 DOI: 10.1016/j.surfrep.2020.100492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
First-principles predictions play an important role in understanding chemistry at the electrochemical interface. Electronic structure calculations are straightforward for vacuum interfaces, but do not easily account for the interfacial fields and solvation that fundamentally change the nature of electrochemical reactions. Prevalent techniques for first-principles prediction of electrochemical processes range from expensive explicit solvation using ab initio molecular dynamics, through a hierarchy of continuum solvation techniques, to neglecting solvation and interfacial field effects entirely. Currently, no single approach reliably captures all relevant effects of the electrochemical double layer in first-principles calculations. This review systematically lays out the relation between all major approaches to first-principles electrochemistry, including the key approximations and their consequences for accuracy and computational cost. Focusing on ab initio methods for thermodynamic properties of aqueous interfaces, we first outline general considerations for modeling electrochemical interfaces, including solvent and electrolyte dynamics and electrification. We then present the specifics of various explicit and implicit models of the solvent and electrolyte. Finally, we discuss the compromise between computational efficiency and accuracy, and identify key outstanding challenges and future opportunities in the wide range of techniques for first-principles electrochemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen Schwarz
- Material Measurement Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology, 100 Bureau Dr., Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899, USA
| | - Ravishankar Sundararaman
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 8th St., Troy, New York 12180, USA
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27
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Heenen HH, Gauthier JA, Kristoffersen HH, Ludwig T, Chan K. Solvation at metal/water interfaces: An ab initio molecular dynamics benchmark of common computational approaches. J Chem Phys 2020; 152:144703. [DOI: 10.1063/1.5144912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Hendrik H. Heenen
- Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Joseph A. Gauthier
- SUNCAT Center for Interface Science and Catalysis, Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
- SUNCAT Center for Interface Science and Catalysis, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, 2575 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA
| | | | - Thomas Ludwig
- SUNCAT Center for Interface Science and Catalysis, Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
- SUNCAT Center for Interface Science and Catalysis, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, 2575 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA
| | - Karen Chan
- Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
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28
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Goff JM, Sinnott SB, Dabo I. Effects of surface charge and cluster size on the electrochemical dissolution of platinum nanoparticles using COMB3 and continuum electrolyte models. J Chem Phys 2020; 152:064102. [PMID: 32061225 DOI: 10.1063/1.5131720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
We study the site-dependent dissolution of platinum nanoparticles under electrochemical conditions to assess their thermodynamic stability as a function of shape and size using empirical molecular dynamics and electronic-structure models. The third-generation charge optimized many-body potential is employed to determine the validity of uniform spherical representations of the nanoparticles in predicting dissolution potentials (the Kelvin model). To understand the early stages of catalyst dissolution, implicit solvation techniques based on the self-consistent continuum solvation method are applied. It is demonstrated that interfacial charge and polarization can shift the dissolution energies by amounts on the order of 0.74 eV depending on the surface site and nanoparticle shape, leading to the unexpected preferential removal of platinum cations from highly coordinated sites in some cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- James M Goff
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Materials Research Institute, Penn State Institutes of Energy and the Environment, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
| | - Susan B Sinnott
- Department of Materials Science, Materials Research Institute and Engineering, Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
| | - Ismaila Dabo
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Materials Research Institute, Penn State Institutes of Energy and the Environment, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
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29
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Nattino F, Marzari N. Operando XANES from first-principles and its application to iridium oxide. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2020; 22:10807-10818. [DOI: 10.1039/c9cp06726d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Density-functional theory calculations augmented with a continuum description of the electrochemical environment are implemented to simulated X-ray absorption spectra as a function of the applied potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Nattino
- Theory and Simulation of Materials (THEOS) and National Centre for Computational Design and Discovery of Novel Materials (MARVEL)
- École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
- CH-1015 Lausanne
- Switzerland
| | - Nicola Marzari
- Theory and Simulation of Materials (THEOS) and National Centre for Computational Design and Discovery of Novel Materials (MARVEL)
- École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
- CH-1015 Lausanne
- Switzerland
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30
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Stein CJ, Herbert JM, Head-Gordon M. The Poisson–Boltzmann model for implicit solvation of electrolyte solutions: Quantum chemical implementation and assessment via Sechenov coefficients. J Chem Phys 2019; 151:224111. [DOI: 10.1063/1.5131020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J. Stein
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
- Chemical Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
| | - John M. Herbert
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
| | - Martin Head-Gordon
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
- Chemical Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
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31
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Dufils T, Jeanmairet G, Rotenberg B, Sprik M, Salanne M. Simulating Electrochemical Systems by Combining the Finite Field Method with a Constant Potential Electrode. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2019; 123:195501. [PMID: 31765198 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.123.195501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
A better understanding of interfacial mechanisms is needed to improve the performances of electrochemical devices. Yet, simulating an electrode surface at fixed electrolyte composition remains a challenge. Here, we apply a finite electric field to a single electrode held at constant potential and in contact with an aqueous ionic solution, using classical molecular dynamics. The polarization yields two electrochemical interfaces on opposite sides of the same metal slab. The net charge on one electrode surface is the opposite of the net charge on the other, maintaining overall charge neutrality of the metal. The electrode surface charge fluctuations are compensated by the adsorption of ions from the electrolyte, forming a pair of electric double layers with aligned dipoles. This opens the way towards the efficient simulation of electrochemical interfaces using any flavor of molecular dynamics, from classical to first-principles-based methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Dufils
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Physico-chimie des Électrolytes et Nanosystèmes Interfaciaux, PHENIX, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - Guillaume Jeanmairet
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Physico-chimie des Électrolytes et Nanosystèmes Interfaciaux, PHENIX, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - Benjamin Rotenberg
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Physico-chimie des Électrolytes et Nanosystèmes Interfaciaux, PHENIX, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - Michiel Sprik
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
| | - Mathieu Salanne
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Physico-chimie des Électrolytes et Nanosystèmes Interfaciaux, PHENIX, F-75005 Paris, France
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Gauthier JA, Dickens CF, Heenen HH, Vijay S, Ringe S, Chan K. Unified Approach to Implicit and Explicit Solvent Simulations of Electrochemical Reaction Energetics. J Chem Theory Comput 2019; 15:6895-6906. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.9b00717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Joseph A. Gauthier
- SUNCAT Center for Interface Science and Catalysis, Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
- SUNCAT Center for Interface Science and Catalysis, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, 2575 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, California 94025, United States
| | - Colin F. Dickens
- SUNCAT Center for Interface Science and Catalysis, Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
- SUNCAT Center for Interface Science and Catalysis, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, 2575 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, California 94025, United States
| | - Hendrik H. Heenen
- Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Sudarshan Vijay
- Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Stefan Ringe
- SUNCAT Center for Interface Science and Catalysis, Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
- SUNCAT Center for Interface Science and Catalysis, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, 2575 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, California 94025, United States
| | - Karen Chan
- Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
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Campbell Q, Dabo I. Electrochemical stability and light-harvesting ability of silicon photoelectrodes in aqueous environments. J Chem Phys 2019; 151:044109. [PMID: 31370555 DOI: 10.1063/1.5093810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
We study the factors that affect the photoactivity of silicon electrodes for the water-splitting reaction using a self-consistent continuum solvation model of the solid-liquid interface. This model allows us to calculate the charge-voltage response, Schottky barriers, and surface stability of different terminations while accounting for the interactions between the charge-pinning centers at the surface and the depletion region of the semiconductor. We predict that the most stable oxidized surface does not have a favorable Schottky barrier, which further explains the low solar-to-hydrogen performance of passivated silicon electrodes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quinn Campbell
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Materials Research Institute, and Penn State Institutes of Energy and the Environment, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
| | - Ismaila Dabo
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Materials Research Institute, and Penn State Institutes of Energy and the Environment, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Truscott
- Department of Physics, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas 76207, United States
| | - Oliviero Andreussi
- Department of Physics, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas 76207, United States
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35
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Hörmann NG, Andreussi O, Marzari N. Grand canonical simulations of electrochemical interfaces in implicit solvation models. J Chem Phys 2019; 150:041730. [DOI: 10.1063/1.5054580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas G. Hörmann
- Theory and Simulation of Materials (THEOS), and National Centre for Computational Design and Discovery of Novel Materials (MARVEL), École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Oliviero Andreussi
- Department of Physics, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas 76207, USA
| | - Nicola Marzari
- Theory and Simulation of Materials (THEOS), and National Centre for Computational Design and Discovery of Novel Materials (MARVEL), École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
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Lian T, Koper MTM, Reuter K, Subotnik JE. Special Topic on Interfacial Electrochemistry and Photo(electro)catalysis. J Chem Phys 2019; 150:041401. [PMID: 30709260 DOI: 10.1063/1.5088351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Interfacial electrochemistry and photo(electro)catalysis are key processes that convert the energy of photons or electrons to chemical bonds in many energy conversion and storage technologies. Achieving a molecular level understanding of the fundamental interfacial structure, energetics, dynamics, and reaction mechanisms that govern these processes represents a broad frontier for chemical physics and physical chemistry. This Special Topic contains a collection of articles that range from the development of new experimental and computational techniques to the novel application of those techniques for mechanistic studies, as the principal investigators seek a fundamental molecular understanding of both electrode/electrolyte interfaces and the relevant electrocatalytic, photocatalytic, and photoelectrochemical reactions taking place thereabout. Altogether, this collection of articles captures the current state of this very active, frontier research field and highlights the current and remaining key scientific challenges and opportunities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianquan Lian
- Department of Chemistry, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA
| | - Marc T M Koper
- Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Karsten Reuter
- Chair for Theoretical Chemistry and Catalysis Research Center, Technische Universität München, Lichtenbergstr. 4, 85747 Garching, Germany
| | - Joseph E Subotnik
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
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