Understanding Attenuated Solvent Reorganization Energies near Electrode Interfaces

This manuscript studies the position-dependent profile of Marcus-like outer-sphere reorganization energy near electrode interfaces. We establish the relation between the reorganization energy and the fluctuation in the Madelung potential of redox ions in the electrolyte. The distribution of such potential narrows significantly within the screening length of the electrode, leading to the minimization of electron transfer barrier. In addition, we present a statistical field model that can capture the attenuation of reorganization energy, indicating the generality of this effect near electrode interfaces regardless the molecular details.