Induced-Charge Electrokinetic Phenomena

Martin Z. Bazant
Departments of Chemical Engineering & Mathematics
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA
CISM Summer School, Udine Italy, June 22-26 2009.
Electrokinetics and Electrohydrodynamics of Microsystems
1. Introduction
2. Low-voltage theory
3. Particle motion
4. Fluid motion
5. Large-voltage theory
Lectures
Standard Model
Poisson-Nernst-Planck equations
Navier-Stokes equations with electrostatic stress
Singular perturbation
Dilute solution / mean field
= screening length = 1-100nm
Charge relaxation and ICEO flow
Electric eld ICEO velocity
Movies: numerical solution of the Poisson-Nernst-Planck/Navier-Stokes
equations by Y. Ben, 2005 (/a=0.005)
We will now show how the same problem can be solved analytically in
the (typical) limit of thin double layers ( 0). Calculations will be
done at the board following Squires & Bazant, J Fluid Mech 2004, 2006.
Thin-double-layer, low-voltage theory
RC circuit boundary condition
Ohms law, neutral bulk
Fix surface potential,
or total charge
Stokes flow
For a freely suspended
particle, determine velocity
& rotation by force=torque=0.

dq
dt
= C
d(
0
)
dt
=

n

2
= 0
Diffuse-layer and Stern-layer
capacitances in series

C =
C
d
1+
, =
C
d
C
s
, C
d
=

Q= qda

0
Electrostatic Problem Fluid Problem


p =
2

u ,

u = 0
Induced-charge
electro-osmotic slip
boundary condition



u
s
=

u

u
0
=

E
||
=

0

1+
Example 1:
ICEO flow around an uncharged
metal sphere in an AC field
Murtsovkin, Colloid Journal (1996); Squires & Bazant, J Fluid Mech, (2004).

E( >>
c
)

E( <<
c
)

u ( <<
c
)
Dimensionless Equations

2
= 0

d(
0
)
dt
=

n


p =
2

u ,

u = 0



u
s
=

0
1+

E

c
(1+)
= (1+)
c
1
=
Ca

=
a
D

= Re[e
it
(
0
)], i=

n , u
s
=
1
4

||
| |
2

U
0
=
LE
0
2
(1+)
RC time scale
ICEO velocity scale
Linear response to AC field
Solution

E(r ) = cost = Re[e
it
]

(r,,) = rcos 1+ G()
a
r






3









i(a,) = E
r
(a,)
G =
1i
2 + i

u

(a,) = Re[(a,)] Re[E

(a,)]
=
9
2
sin2 Re
e
it
2 + i






2

u

(a,) =
9
16
sin2
[1+ (/2)
2
]
=U
s
sin2

u

(r,) =U
s
a
r
[
\
|

)
j
4
sin2
u
r
(r,) =
U
s
2
1+ 3cos2
( )
a
r
[
\
|

)
j
4

a
r
[
\
|

)
j
2
|
|
|
|
|
|
Quadrupolar flow decays
above RC frequency
G=induced dipole moment
=1/2 insulator, =-1 conductor
Example 2: Our first experiment
ICEO around a 100 micron platinum cylinder in 0.1 mM KCl
Low frequency DC limit
At the RC frequency
In-phase E field (insulator)
Out-of-phase E (negligible) Induced dipole
) Re(
) Im(
Levitan, ... Y. Ben, Colloids and Surfaces (2005).
Time-averaged velocity
Normal current
Example 3:
Induced-charge electrophoresis of
a metal/insulator Janus sphere
transverse to a uniform AC field
Theory: Squires and Bazant, J Fluid Mech, (2006); Experiment: Gangwal et al, Phys Rev Lett (2008).
stable orientation
- Metal side acts like a jet engine.
-Stable motion transverse to a uniform DC or AC field

U
ICEP
=
9
128
aE
2
(1+)
= surface average slip
(Stone & Samuels 1996)
Conclusion
Lecture 2: Low-voltage Theory
The Standard Model is convenient to qualitatively predict
many nonlinear electrokinetic phenomena in colloids
(lecture 3) and microfluidics (lecture 4), but is still
incomplete and may require modifications (lecture 5).