This research project, supported in the Analytical and Surface Chemistry Program, addresses questions of interfacial chemistry in electrochemical devices. Using a combination of surface vibrational spectroscopies, electrochemical methods, and electron spectroscopic probes, Professor Pemberton and her research group at the University of Arizona study the structure and properties of three types of important electrochemical interfaces. The orientation of diakylcarbonate solvents at model Li battery electrode surfaces, the interfacial chemistry of dialkylimidazolium salts used in electrochemical capacitor systems, and the interaction of organic thin films with low work function metals are examined in this work. Fundamental questions about interfacial structure and reactivity are studied, with an eye towards the technological applications of this information.
The understanding of the interfacial chemistry in important electrochemical systems is the goal of this research project. A combination of experimental probes are used to address questions of electrolyte structure at the electrode interface, the interfacial interactions of organic dielectrics in capacitor systems, and the interfacial chemistry important in organic light emitting devices. Results of this fundamental research impact a number of important microelectronic technologies.
