Solvent Variables Controlling Electric Double Layer Capacitance at the Metal–Solution Interface

Abstract

This paper aims at finding the experimentally controllable variables of solvent for the electric double layer capacitance obtained at two parallel platinum wire electrodes in the polarized potential domain. The equivalent circuit used is the frequency-dependent double layer impedance in series with solution resistance. The evaluated capacitance shows no systematic relation with the dielectric constants, viscosity, boiling temperatures, or dipole moments of the solvents but is proportional to the inverse of the lengths of field-oriented molecules. The proportionality indicates common saturated dielectric constants, 6, of 13 solvents. The variables controlling the capacitance are the saturated dielectric constants and the lengths of solvent molecules along the dipole.