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Updated: Feb 7, 2026
AC Electrokinetic Phenomena Generated by Microelectrode Structures
Published on: July 28, 2008
Flow-Induced Surface Charge Heterogeneity in Electrokinetics due to Stern-Layer Conductance Coupled to Reaction
B L Werkhoven1, J C Everts2, S Samin1
1Institute for Theoretical Physics, Center for Extreme Matter and Emergent Phenomena, Utrecht University, Princetonplein 5, 3584 CC, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Abstract:
We theoretically study the electrokinetic problem of a pressure-induced liquid flow through a narrow long channel with charged walls, going beyond the classical Helmholtz-Schmolukowski picture by considering the surprisingly strong combined effect of (i) Stern-layer conductance and (ii) dynamic charge-regulating rather than fixed surface charges. We find that the water flow induces, apart from the well-known streaming potential, also a strongly heterogeneous surface charge and zeta potential on chemically homogeneous channel walls. Moreover, we identify a novel steady state with a nontrivial 3D electric flux with 2D surface charges acting as sources and sinks. For a pulsed pressure drop our findings also provide a first-principles explanation for ill-understood experiments on the effect of flow on interfacial chemistry [D. Lis et al., Science 344, 1138 (2014)SCIEAS0036-807510.1126/science.1253793].
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