On Charge Separation at the Phase Boundary Molecular Crystal/Aqueous Electrolyte

Analysis of the electrostatics of charge carrier injection into molecular crystals during nonequilibrium electron transfer reactions demonstrates the unique advantage of aqueous or similar electrodes in measuring limiting currents which yield the rate constant of the injection process. At the phase boundary molecular crystal/aqueous electrolyte image forces are negligible due to the slow orientation polarization of water molecules with respect to the hopping frequency of injected charge carriers. Coulomb forces arising from slowly mobile or localized counter charges are shown to be effectively screened by water as a consequence of its relatively higher static dielectric constant as compared to that of the crystal.