Entropy of Metal/Solution Interfaces: Thermodynamic Framework, Theoretical Models, and Roles of Interfacial Water

Authors

Zengming Zhang, Institute of Energy Technologies, IET-3: Theory and Computation of Energy Materials, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425 Jülich, Germany; Faculty of Georesources and Materials Engineering, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen 52062, Germany.
Zixi Liang, Institute of Energy Technologies, IET-3: Theory and Computation of Energy Materials, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425 Jülich, Germany; Institute for a Sustainable Hydrogen Economy, INW-1, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425 Jülich, Germany.
Jun Huang, Institute of Energy Technologies, IET-3: Theory and Computation of Energy Materials, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425 Jülich, Germany; Faculty of Georesources and Materials Engineering, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen 52062, Germany.Follow

Document Type

Article

Corresponding Author(s)

Jun Huang(ju.huang@fz-juelich.de)

Abstract

Entropy is a basic thermodynamic property of the electrical double layer (EDL) at metal/solution interfaces; yet, its definition, measurement, and theoretical treatment are dispersed in the literature, and, in some cases, ambiguous. In this paper, we revisit the thermodynamic theory of EDL, from which two variants of entropy, excess entropy and formation entropy, are obtained and compared. In terms of the formation entropy, two calculation routes are validated in the context of a primitive EDL model, namely, the Gouy-Chapman (GC) model. After clarifying the concepts and calculation routes, we investigate interfacial water effects on the EDL entropy, using a refined Gouy-Chapman-Stern (GCS) model accounting for chemical potential difference between oxygen- and hydrogen-down water molecules, denoted δμ. The model-derived differential capacitance and entropy are compared with experimental data for the EDL at Au(111) in aqueous electrolyte solution. The model reveals that the charge of maximum entropy (CME) is negative when water molecules have higher tendency to take oxygen-down configuration at uncharged surface. Moreover, the formation entropy profile becomes asymmetric around the CME, when δμ is potential-dependent. However, the model fails to simultaneously reproduce capacitance and entropy measurements on the same system taken from two separate studies, indicating deficiencies of the model or experimental errors. Nevertheless, this work stresses the importance of measuring both capacitance and entropy of EDLs at the same time.

Graphical Abstract

Keywords

electrical double layer, excess entropy, formation entropy, interfacial water, charge of maximum entropy

DOI

10.61558/2993-074X.3601

Online Date

12-24-2025

Recommended Citation

Zengming Zhang, Zixi Liang, Jun Huang. Entropy of Metal/Solution Interfaces: Thermodynamic Framework, Theoretical Models, and Roles of Interfacial Water[J]. Journal of Electrochemistry, doi: 10.61558/2993-074X.3601.