Classical theory of electron-ion correlations at electrochemical interfaces: Closing the circuit from double-layer charging to ion adsorption

Abstract

The electric double layer (EDL) that forms at the interface between metals and ionic solutions is at the heart of various energy technologies. Recent experimental data have challenged our traditional understanding of the EDL charging behavior, which is based on mean-field Gouy-Chapman-Stern-type (GCS) models. In this article, we present a classical theory for the EDL, derived from first-principles statistical mechanics, that accounts for electron-ion correlation effects using the method of image charges and systematically extends beyond the mean-field level. Such electron-ion correlations introduce an additional interaction between the metal surface and electrolyte ions, significantly altering the EDL structure. Our theory, valid in the limit of dilute electrolyte solutions and weakly charged metal surfaces, achieves quantitative agreement with experimental capacitance data across a wide range of electrode materials and electrolyte solvents, and thus resolves long-standing questions on the origin of discrepancies to GCS predictions. Thereby, the framework conceptually unifies the processes of double-layer charging and ion adsorption (electrosorption), which are typically considered as distinct phenomena, but are shown to be manifestations of the same fundamental electrostatic principles.