Quantum theory of the double layer: Model including solvent structure

We describe a microscopic theory of the electrons at the surface of an electrode-electrolyte interface in which no specific adsorption of ions takes place at the electrode surface. Unlike some earlier models, our calculations allow for the possibility that the distance from the metal to the solvent molecules can change when the potential on the electrode is changed. In the work described here, we report calculations on a model which improves on our previous work by including more detail concerning the electronic and molecular structure of the solvent. By including these features, we remove some arbitrary features of our previous model and improve the agreement between experiment and our calculations for the differential capacitance of the interface between an sp metal and a dilute electrolyte.