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We study the effects of ion size asymmetry and short-range correlations on the electrical double layer in ionic liquids: we perform molecular dynamics simulations of a model ionic liquid between two "electrodes" and calculate the differential capacitance of each as a function of the electrode potential. The capacitance curve has an asymmetric "bell-shape" character, in qualitative agreement with recent experiments and the mean- field theory (MFT) which takes into account the limitation on the maximal local density of ions. The short-range ionic correlations, not included in the MFT, lead to an overscreening effect which changes radically the structure of the double layer at small and moderate charging. With the radius of cations taken to be twice as large as anions, the position of the main capacitance maximum is shifted positively from the potential of zero charge (PZC), as predicted by MFT. An extension of the theory (EMFT), however, reproduces the simulated capacitance curve almost quantitatively. Capacitance curves for real ionic liquids will be affected by nonspherical shape of ions and sophisticated pair potentials, varying from liquid to liquid. But understanding the capacitance behavior of such model system is a basis for rationalizing those more specific features.

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Recently observed anomalous properties of ionic-liquid-based nanoporous supercapacitors [C. Largot et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2008, 130, 2730-2731] have attracted much attention. Here we present Monte Carlo simulations of a model ionic liquid in slit-like metallic nanopores. We show that exponential screening of the electrostatic interactions of ions inside a pore, as well as the image-charge attraction of ions to the pore surface, lead to the 'anomalous' increase of the capacitance with decreasing the pore width. The simulation results are in good agreement with the experimental data. The capacitance as a function of voltage is almost constant for low voltages and vanishes above a certain threshold voltage. For very narrow pores, these two regions are separated by a peak. With increase of the pore size the peak turns into a bump and disappears for wide pores. This effect, related to a specific character of the voltage-induced filling of nanopores with counterions at high densities, is yet to be verified experimentally.

We report a simple universal method to systematically improve the accuracy of hydration free energies calculated using an integral equation theory of molecular liquids, the 3D reference interaction site model. A strong linear correlation is observed between the difference of the experimental and (uncorrected) calculated hydration free energies and the calculated partial molar volume for a data set of 185 neutral organic molecules from different chemical classes. By using the partial molar volume as a linear empirical correction to the calculated hydration free energy, we obtain predictions of hydration free energies in excellent agreement with experiment (R = 0.94, σ = 0.99 kcal mol (- 1) for a test set of 120 organic molecules).

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In this work we are concerned with the short-range screening provided by the ionic liquid dimethylimidazolium chloride near a charged wall. We study the free energy profiles (or potentials of mean force) for charged and neutral solutes as a function of distance from a charged wall. Four different wall charge densities are used in addition to a wall with zero charge. The highest magnitude of the charge densities is ±1 e nm(-2) which is close to the maximum limit of charge densities accessible in experiments, while the intermediate charges ±0.5 e nm(-2) are in the range of densities typically used in most of the experimental studies. Positively and negatively charged solutes of approximately the size of a BF ion and a Cl(-) ion are used as probes. We find that the ionic liquid provides excellent electrostatic screening at a distance of 1-2 nm. The free energy profiles show minima which are due to layering in the ionic liquid near the electrodes. This indicates that the solute ions tend to displace ionic liquid ions in the layers when approaching the electrode. The important role of non-electrostatic forces is demonstrated by the oscillations in the free energy profiles of uncharged solutes as a function of distance from the wall.