Bulk-Surface Electrothermodynamics and Applications to Electrochemistry.

We propose a modeling framework for magnetizable, polarizable, elastic, viscous, heat conducting, reactive mixtures in contact with interfaces. To this end, we first introduce bulk and surface balance equations that contain several constitutive quantities. For further modeling of the constitutive quantities, we formulate constitutive principles.

A new perspective on the electron transfer: recovering the Butler-Volmer equation in non-equilibrium thermodynamics.

Electron transfer reactions are commonly described by the phenomenological Butler-Volmer equation which has its origin in kinetic theories. The Butler-Volmer equation relates interfacial reaction rates to bulk quantities like the electrostatic potential and electrolyte concentrations. Although the general structure of the equation is well accepted, for modern electrochemical systems like batteries and fuel cells there is still intensive discussion about the specific dependencies of the coefficients.

Modeling of electrochemical double layers in thermodynamic non-equilibrium.

We consider the contact between an electrolyte and a solid electrode. At first we formulate a thermodynamic consistent model that resolves boundary layers at interfaces. The model includes charge transport, diffusion, chemical reactions, viscosity, elasticity and polarization under isothermal conditions.

Overcoming the shortcomings of the Nernst-Planck model.

This is a study on electrolytes that takes a thermodynamically consistent coupling between mechanics and diffusion into account. It removes some inherent deficiencies of the popular Nernst-Planck model. A boundary problem for equilibrium processes is used to illustrate the features of the new model.

The thermodynamic origin of hysteresis in insertion batteries.

Lithium batteries are considered the key storage devices for most emerging green technologies such as wind and solar technologies or hybrid and plug-in electric vehicles. Despite the tremendous recent advances in battery research, surprisingly, several fundamental issues of increasing practical importance have not been adequately tackled. One such issue concerns the energy efficiency.