(305a) Control of Interfacial Stability in Electrochemical Systems

The shape and composition of electrochemical interfaces often undergo instabilities, which are notoriously difficult to understand and control in engineering applications. The first part of this talk will describe three examples of interfacial patterns – viscous fingers, deionization shocks, and metal dendrites – whose stability can be controlled by electrokinetic phenomena in charged porous media, as evidenced by both theory and experiments. Potential applications include electrically enhanced oil recovery, water desalination and purification by shock electrodialysis, and energy storage with rechargeable metal batteries. The second part of the talk will describe how driven electrochemical reactions can alter the thermodynamic stability of solid or liquid interfaces, with applications to Li-ion batteries, electrodeposition, corrosion, and biological pattern formation.