Superionic Liquids in Conducting Nanoslits: Insights from Theory and Simulations

Mapping the theory of charging supercapacitors with nanostructured electrodes on known lattice models of statistical physics is an interesting task, aimed at revealing generic features of capacitive energy storage in such systems. The main advantage of this approach is the possibility to obtain analytical solutions that allow new physical insights to be more easily developed. But how general the predictions of such theories could be? How sensitive are they to the choice of the lattice? Herein, we address these questions in relation to our previous description of such systems using the Bethe-lattice approach and Monte Carlo simulations. Remarkably, we find a surprisingly good agreement between the analytical theory and simulations. In addition, we reveal a striking correlation between the ability to store energy and ion ordering inside a pore, suggesting that such ordering can be beneficial for energy storage.

Automated summary

Mapping the charging theory of supercapacitors with nanostructured electrodes onto lattice models of statistical physics can reveal generic features of capacitive energy storage in such systems and provide analytical solutions for developing new physical insights. The study found a remarkable agreement between analytical theory and simulations, and discovered a correlation between ion ordering inside a pore and the ability to store energy.