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Poisson-Boltzmann description of the electrical double layer including ion size effects
José Juan López-García1, José Horno, Constantino Grosse
1Departamento de Física, Universidad de Jaén, Campus Las Lagunillas, Ed. A-3, 23071 Jaén, Spain.
Abstract:
The electrical double layer is examined using a generalized Poisson-Boltzmann equation that takes into account the finite ion size by modeling the aqueous electrolyte solution as a suspension of polarizable insulating spheres in water. We find that this model greatly amplifies the steric effects predicted by the usual modified Poisson-Boltzmann equation, which imposes only a restriction on the ability of ions to approach one another. This amplification should allow for an interpretation of the experimental results using reasonable effective ionic radii (close to their well-known hydrated values).
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