Further understanding of the processes that occur at the interface between ionic liquids and metal surfaces has been gained following Frank Endres and colleagues study into the 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium tris(pentafluoroethyl)trifluorophosphate/Au(111) interface.
STM images of the herringbone structure of the Au(111) surface.
At −1.2 V versus the Pt quasi-reference, in situ scanning tunnelling microscopy revealed that the Au(111) surface undergoes a reconstruction to to a herringbone superstructure. Atomic force microscopy showed that that multiple ion pair layers are present at the interface, which are dependent on the electrode potential. Finally, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy revealed three distinct processes at the interface, including a capacitive process occurring between −0.84 V and −1.04 V, which is slower than the electrochemical double layer formation, and is thought to be related to the herringbone reconstruction.
Read more about this hot new research here.
Rob Atkin, Natalia Borisenko, Marcel Drüschler, Sherif Zein El Abedin, Frank Endres, Robert Hayes, Benedikt Huber and Bernhard Roling
Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2011, DOI: 10.1039/C0CP02846K
