Nonlinear behaviour of simple ionic systems in hydrogel in an electric field
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 2, 2026

The Preparation of Electrohydrodynamic Bridges from Polar Dielectric Liquids
Published on: September 30, 2014
1Department of Chemical Engineering, Center for Nonlinear Dynamics, Prague Institute of Chemical Technology, Technická 5, 166 28 Prague 6, Czech Republic.
Abstract:
The stationary behavior of ionic reaction-transport systems contained in hydrogel located between two reservoirs of electrolytes is investigated. The effects of the applied voltage, the composition of the electrolytes in the reservoirs and the distribution of fixed charge in the hydrogel on the spatial patterns of charge, electric potential, temperature and concentrations of the individual components are studied systematically by mathematical modelling. Such systems, containing only several ions (for example, Cl-, K+, OH- and H+) can function as electrolyte diodes and transistors and can exhibit oscillations and hysteresis. The mathematical description of the studied systems is based on balances of species, enthalpy and charge, on Poisson's equation and on the finite rate description of the water dissociation/recombination reaction, without assuming local electroneutrality. The modeling results are compared with experiments, including the system with hydrogel connecting reservoirs of strong base and acid studied by Noszticzius and co-workers. [L.H. Hegedus, N. Kirschner, M. Wittmann and Z. Noszticzius, J. Phys. Chem. A, 1998, 102, 6491 (ref. 1); L. H. Hegedus, N. Kirschner, M. Wittmann, P. Simon and Z. Noszticzius, Chaos, 1999, 9, 283 (ref. 2).]
Related Concept Videos
The Electrical Double Layer
Theory of Strong Electrolytes
Aqueous Solutions and Heats of Hydration
When ionic compounds dissolve in water, the ions in the solid separate and disperse uniformly throughout the solution because water molecules surround and solvate the ions, reducing the strong electrostatic forces between them. This process...
Debye–Huckel–Onsager Conductance Equation
Electrochemical Systems
Electrolyte and Nonelectrolyte Solutions

