seed projects

Kelsey Stoerzinger: Understanding the Electrical Double Layer and Mechanisms of Electrochemical Gating

Schematic illustrating the use of iR light and probed vibrational wavenumbers to deduce gradients in ionic species and their response to applied potential during ionic gating.

This Seed seeks to significantly advance the understanding and control of ion and molecular transport through ion gels via combination of in situ Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and electrochemical measurements. Experimentally, we will assess the distribution of local electric fields upon polarization at an oxide/ion gel interface and relate these to driving forces for ion intercalation/deintercalation at oxide/aqueous interfaces. We will further assess the relevant electrochemical potential for reactions that might coincide with electrochemical gating (i.e. the oxygen reduction and evolution reactions, and hydrogen evolution from trapped water). This will be coupled with understanding of transport within the ion gel to control (ir)reversibility of gating processes.

Funded by the National Science Foundation through the University of Minnesota MRSEC under Award Number DMR-2011401