Dresden 2026 – scientific programme

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O: Fachverband Oberflächenphysik

O 51: Focus Session: Structure and Dynamics of Solvent at Electrochemical Interfaces II

O 51.1: Invited Talk

Tuesday, March 10, 2026, 14:30–15:00, TRE/MATH

Ultrafast aqueous electric double-layer dynamics — •Mischa Bonn — Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research

The formation of electric double layers (EDLs) at solid-liquid interfaces is universal, yet their molecular structure and dynamics remain incompletely understood. Building on recent advances in interface-specific spectroscopy and nanofluidic model systems, this talk will address how interfacial polarization, geometric confinement, and charge density collectively shape the structure and dynamics of water at electrochemical interfaces. We will highlight new femtosecond-resolved optical spectroscopy measurements that access the genuine ultrafast response of the aqueous EDL, revealing that field-driven ionic rearrangements and solvent reorganization occur on time scales of only a few tens to hundreds of picoseconds - significantly faster than expected from classical diffusion-limited models. These results demonstrate that collective many-body interactions and short-range correlations dominate the EDL response long before macroscopic diffusion sets in. Taken together, the studies provide a molecularly consistent picture in which interfacial polarization and charge act in concert to control water structure and dynamics across electrochemical interfaces, with direct implications for energy conversion, ion transport, and operando spectroscopies of electrified surfaces.

Keywords: water; interface; electric double layer; SFG