Anomalous temperature dependence of the differential capacitance in valence asymmetric electrolytes. Comparison of Monte Carlo simulation results and the field theoretical approach.

In this paper, we consider the anomalous behaviour of the differential capacitance as a function of the reduced temperature for the case of valence asymmetric systems. Monte Carlo simulation results of these systems are discussed in view of the predictions of a field theoretical approach. We show that a simple field theory for point ions is sufficient to capture the main features of the phenomenon. In particular, the existence of scaling of the curves related to ionic strength is discussed as well as the increase of the differential capacitance peak as a function of the asymmetry between ions. This indicates that important features of the phenomenon are essentially related to the electrical properties of the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]