Impact of Faradaic Interlayer Confinement and Carbon‐Centered Macrostructure Designs for Ion Capture and the Recovery of Elements

Abstract

AbstractEnvironmental protection associated with renewable energy is among the most critical challenges for translational ion‐capture based on capacitive storage of ions in electrical double layers at the interface of electrode and electrolyte. Electric double‐layer capacitance with charge induction and faradaic pseudo‐capacitance with charge transfer classifies the capacitance of the electrochemical interface. The electrochemical interface in most energy technologies involves porous and pseudocapacitive redox materials that offer varying degrees of electrolyte confinement. In this review, we discuss the factors affecting water desalination, such as the effect of nanopores for ion capture, the ion sieving effect, the effect of hydration energy, and hydration radius in the carbon sub‐nanometer pore. Moreover, the surface phenomena of electrodes, including carbon corrosion, and the potential of zero charge to control the oxidation of carbon electrodes are explained along with protection mechanisms. The various capacitive deionization (CDI) operations and the corresponding electrochemical cell technologies are briefly introduced, including the significance of double‐layer charging materials with faradaic intercalation, which suffer less from co‐ion expulsion. Finally, we revisit the effects of various nanoarchitectures and the construction of capacitive deionization electrodes for clean water technology.