Electrochemical Quartz Crystal Microbalance (EQCM) Study of Ion Dynamics in Nanoporous Carbons

Abstract

Electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM) and cyclic voltammetry (CV) measurements were used to characterize ion adsorption in carbide-derived carbon (CDC) with two different average pore sizes (1 and 0.65 nm), from neat and solvated 1-Ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (EMI-TFSI) electrolytes. From the electrode mass change in neat EMI-TFSI, it was shown that one net charge stored corresponds almost to one single ion at high polarization; in that case, no ion-pairing or charge screening by co-ions were observed. In 2 M EMI-TFSI in acetonitrile electrolyte, experimental solvation numbers were estimated for EMI+ cation, showing a partial desolvation when cations were adsorbed in confined carbon pores. The extent of desolvation increased when decreasing the carbon pore size (from 1 down to 0.65 nm). The results also suggest that EMI+ cation owns higher mobility than TFSI− anion in these electrolytes.