Ions with the same electrical charge can be forced to huddle together to speed up chemical reactions, defying the basic rules of physics.
April 23, 2026
Original Paper
Promoting electrochemical reactions using like-charged co-ions
ChemRxiv · chemrxiv.15002279/v1
The Takeaway
Classic electrostatic theory says that like charged ions must repel each other and stay away from an electrode of the same charge. However, these wrong charged ions actually accumulate at the interface and act as promoters for reactivity. This discovery means we can use repulsion to our advantage by picking ions that want to flee the electrode but get trapped in the process. It offers a new dial to turn for making batteries and chemical sensors significantly more efficient.
From the abstract
Electrochemistry plays a central role in energy conversion, sustainable chemistry, and biomedicine. Electrochemical devices often hinge on chemical processes at charged electrode-electrolyte interfaces, where intermolecular forces cause electrolyte ions to be attracted or repelled from the interfacial environment1. Electrostatically, opposite-charged counterions are attracted and like-charged co-ions are repelled, leading to charge separation that screens surfaces2. Yet, this ion de-mixing also