Electrosorption at functional interfaces: from molecular-level interactions to electrochemical cell design.

Area of Science:

• Physical chemistry
• Materials chemistry
• Separations science

Background:

• Adsorption at charged interfaces is fundamental to physical chemistry, impacting biological interactions, catalysis, and separations.
• Advances in materials chemistry have led to the development of modified electrodes for electrosorption applications, particularly in separations science.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide an overview of functional interfaces utilized in electrosorption.
• To discuss molecular mechanisms for enhancing ion capacity and selectivity.
• To address parasitic Faradaic reactions and explore electrochemical configurations for improved performance.

Main Methods:

• Review of functional interfaces for electrosorption.
• Analysis of molecular mechanisms for ion adsorption.
• Discussion of Faradaic reactions and electrochemical cell designs.

Main Results:

• Identified various functional interfaces for electrosorption in electrochemical separations (e.g., deionization, selective product recovery) and biological applications.
• Detailed molecular mechanisms that improve ion capacity and selectivity.
• Highlighted the detrimental effects of parasitic Faradaic reactions and the benefits of asymmetric cell design.

Conclusions:

• Functionalized electrodes offer significant potential for advanced electrosorption processes.
• Understanding and mitigating parasitic reactions are crucial for optimizing electrosorption.
• Asymmetric cell designs and redox-mediated systems present opportunities for selective electrosorption.