2021/05/14 by J. B. Sokoloff, Sokoloff, Jeffrey
Chemistry · Physics and Astronomy · #Electrochemical Analysis and Applications #Electrostatics and Colloid Interactions #FOS: Physical sciences #Other Condensed Matter (cond-mat.other) #Spectroscopy and Quantum Chemical Studies
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2105.07057
openalex publication_date 2021/05/14 · openalex created_date 2021/05/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
Electrical image potentials near a metallic or a dielectric wall of higher dielectric constant than that of the solution are attractive, and therefore, can concentrate salt ions near the wall. It has recently been observed that near a metallic surface, ions in room temperature ionic liquids precipitate (but not near a nonmetallic surface). It will be argued that a likely reason for why precipitation of ions in salt water, as a result of electrical image forces, has not as yet been observed is the existence of an energy barrier near a solid surface, resulting from the decrease of ion solvation as a result of the large decrease of the dielectric constant of water normal to a solid wall within a short distance from the wall. We will explore the conditions under which ions are able to get past this barrier and concentrate at a solid wall, either as a result of a reduction of this barrier caused by screening at high ion concentration or as a result of thermal activation over this solvation energy potential barrier.