Structural, spectral, and dynamical behaviors of biodegradable choline-based ionic liquids (CBILs) confined inside neutral and charged mxene nanopores for supercapacitor applications

Abstract

This study explores the potential of using biodegradable choline-based ionic liquids (CBILs) as a more sustainable and eco-friendly alternative to classical ILs in the field of electrolyte media for energy storage devices. While previous studies have focused on electrostatic and capacitance properties, it is important to also consider dynamics and structural behavior when choosing adjustable electrolytes and electrodes. In this regard, molecular dynamics simulations were used to study the structural, spectral, and dynamical behaviors of two CBILs ([Ch][Sa] and [Ch][β-Ala]) inside MXene nanopores with varying pore size and surface charge density. As the pore size decreases, the number of hydrogen bonds in the first layer decreases from 0.447 to 0.122 and 0.154–0.063 in [Ch][Sa] and [Ch][β-Ala], respectively. Also, the presence of an aromatic ring benefits packing efficiency, causing [Sa]- to have a parallel orientation relative to MXene surface. Applying a fixed charge (1.8–7.2 μC/cm2) on MXene electrodes results in the formation of an electric double layer (EDL). At higher surface charge densities, there is slower dynamics and lower structural correlations between anions and cations. Moreover, Infrared (IR) spectra show blue and red shifts for the O-H bond in choline and carbonyl C-O stretching vibrational modes in anions, respectively, due to the interaction of anions with the MXene surface in the first layer reducing their interaction with cations. The results of our research may potentially lead to the creation of novel energy storage devices that are eco-friendly, utilizing MXene electrodes and CBILs as electrolytes.