The Structural and Electrochemical Effects of N-Heterocyclic Carbene Monolayers on Magnesium

Abstract

N-Heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) have been the focus of renewed interest in recent years for their ability to form extremely stable monolayers on noble metals. However, their ability to bond to non-noble metals is less understood. Magnesium is among the most notorious of these, as the native oxide layer is too porous to be passive but too protective to be catalytic. Through X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and potentiodynamic polarization curves (PDP), we find that NHCs with a wide group of side group functionalities increase the electrochemical activity of magnesium, potentially improving its potential for hydrogen storage.