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Updated: Jun 15, 2026

Merging Ion Concentration Polarization between Juxtaposed Ion Exchange Membranes to Block the Propagation of the Polarization Zone
Published on: February 23, 2017
Theory and experiments of concentration polarization and ion focusing at microchannel and nanochannel interfaces
Thomas A Zangle1, Ali Mani, Juan G Santiago
1Stanford University Mechanical Engineering Department, Building 530, Room 225, 440 Escondido Mall, Stanford, California 94305-3030, USA.
Abstract:
In this tutorial review aimed at researchers using nanofluidic devices, we summarize the current state of theoretical and experimental approaches to describing concentration polarization (CP) in hybrid microfluidic-nanofluidic systems. We also analyze experimental results for these systems and place them in the context of recent theoretical developments. We then extend the theory to explain the behavior of both positively and negatively charged, low-concentration, analyte species in systems with CP. We conclude by discussing several applications of CP in microfluidics.
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