Illustration from Scientific Research

In correlated electrolytes, clusters with charge imbalances take on the role of electric field sources and sinks that determine screening lengths and potential gradients. Formation of ionic aggregates causes screening to be much less effective than classical predictions. Further, organic ions can also serve as proton sources or sinks, which couples local charge densities and pH in a complex manner. Determination of how these effects intersect to sculpt both proton and electric field gradients promises to open new avenues for influencing electrochemical reactivity.

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