Potential dependent studies of the ion arrangement near the electrode/electrolyte interface

We propose studying simple electrode/electrolyte interfaces with X-ray reflectivity (XR) to better understand structural motifs perpendicular to the interface. We expect that our results will significantly improve the atomic level understanding of the electrolyte/electrode interface, in particular the arrangement and coordination of the ions and solvent molecules at the electrode interface as a function of potential. The coordination of the electrolyte is strongly related to its electrochemical stability. This is of utmost importance to understand the mechanisms involved in the solid electrolyte interface formation. Comparing our structural results with simulations such as molecular dynamics will allow us a deepen our insight into the structure of ions and solvents at electrified interfaces.