Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 25, 2026

Determination of Thermodynamic Properties of Alkaline Earth-liquid Metal Alloys Using the Electromotive Force Technique
Published on: November 3, 2017
Thermodynamics of ternary electrolytes: Enhanced adsorption of macroions as minority component to liquid interfaces
William Kung1, Francisco J Solis, Monica Olvera de la Cruz
1Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208-3108, USA.
Abstract:
We study the equilibrium thermodynamics between two ternary ionic systems in immiscible solvents characterized by different dielectric constants. We consider system geometries wherein the two phases of immiscible solvents occupy, respectively, semi-infinite regions of space separated by neutral and charged planar interfaces. Specifically we analyze the case where the ternary system is composed of a pair of symmetric ions plus a minority charged component of high valence. We describe the system by means of a nonlinear mean-field theory. We first obtain exact analytical solutions for the electrostatic potentials, as well as density profiles for a symmetric binary system, and then extend these results to the ternary case using the perturbation theory. We show that the corresponding adsorption and depletion of multivalent macroions at the interface are highly enhanced when compared with the monovalent case.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Ionic Association
Theory of Strong Electrolytes
Ionic Strength: Effects on Chemical Equilibria
In this solution, the primary cation—the calcium...
Electrochemical Systems
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...
Electrolytes: van't Hoff Factor

