Temperature effects on electrical double layer at solid-aqueous solution interface

Despite the significant influence of solution temperature on the structure of electrical double layer, the lack of theoretical model intercepts us to explain and predict the interesting experimental observations. In this work, we study the structure of electrical double layer as a function of thermochemical properties of the solution by proposing a phenomenological temperature dependent surface complexation model. We found that by introducing a buffer layer between the diffuse layer and stern layer, one can explain the sensitivity of zeta potential to temperature for different bulk ion concentrations. Calculation of the electrical conductance as function of thermochemical properties of solution reveals the electrical conductance not only is a function of bulk ion concentration and channel height but also the solution temperature. The present work model can provide deep understanding of micro- and nanofluidic devices functionality at different temperatures.     

Improved understanding of the effect of electrical double layer on pressure-driven flow in microchannels

Traditionally, the effects of electrical double layer on pressure-driven flow in microchannels were modeled by using the Poisson-Boltzmann equation and the fluid momentum equation with a flow-induced body force term. Such a model, however, usually underestimate the electrical double layer effects on the flow. In this study, a theoretical model of the electrical double layer field is developed to provide a better understanding of the electrical double layer effects. The electrical potential and ionic concentration distribution in dilute solutions in small microchannels are investigated by numerically solving this new model. This newly developed model predicted the deficit of counter-ions in the bulk liquid region due to the accumulation of counter-ions in the EDL region, and the surplus of co-ions in the bulk liquid region due to rejection of the co-ions in the EDL region. The presence of the net charges in the bulk liquid region is responsible for the strong electroviscous effects in dilute solutions in small microchannels.     

Dynamics of electrical double layer formation at a charged solid surface

A theoretical study of the dynamics of electrical double layer formation near a charged solid surface is presented. A microscopic expression for the time dependent inhomogeneous charge density of an ionic solution next to a newly charged surface is derived by using linear response theory and molecular hydrodynamics. The presence of interionic correlations is included through ionic structure factors. The rate of electrical double layer formation is found to depend rather strongly on ion concentration and on the dielectric constant of the medium. It is also found that the formation of double layer becomes slower with increase in distance from the charged surface.     

Adsorption kinetics at air/solution interface studied by maximum bubble pressure method

A general dynamic surface adsorption equation (t) for maximum bubble pressure method was derived by solving Ficks diffusion equation for the bubbles under different initial and boundary conditions. Different from the planar surface adsorption(Ward-Tordai equation), the derived dynamic surface adsorption (t) for the short time consists of two terms, one of them reflects the geometric effect caused by the spherical bubble surface. This kind of effect was discussed.The equilibrium surface tension _eq and the dynamic surface tension (t) of aqueous C₁₀E₈ (CH₃(CH₂)₉(OCH₂CH₂)₈OH) solution at temperature 25 °C were measured by means of Wilhelmy plate method and maximal bubble pressure method respectively. In the region of t0 (short time limits) a good agreement of experimental results with the theory was reached and the adsorption was controlled by diffusion. However, for the long time limits, a mixed diffusion-kinetics controlled process was proved.     

On the analysis of ionic surface conduction to unravel charging processes at macroscopic soft and hard solid–liquid interfaces

The electrohydrodynamics of soft interfaces and the processes underlying interfacial charge formation by, for example, unsymmetrical ion adsorption are important aspects of current research on the electrosurface phenomena. In particular, the recent progress in both fields greatly benefits from the now-possible accurate evaluation and quantitative interpretation of (ionic) excess conductivities at solid surfaces and in 3D polyelectrolytic architectures. Achievements in the proper formulation of the conceptual and theoretical framework and in the improvement of measurement capabilities have been tightly connected to the work of Johannes (Hans) Lyklema (1930–2017). Considering his valuable contributions, we herein summarize the theoretical basis of surface conductivity analyses, review the experimental options for the quantification of the surface conductivity at macroscopic planar solid–liquid interfaces, and discuss exemplary surface conductivity case studies for soft and hard interfaces permeable or not to ions and fluid flow.Dedication: Johannes Lyklema (November 23, 1930–October 31, 2017) was a key scientist in colloid and interface science. He completed his doctorate at the University of Utrecht in 1957 under the supervision of Professor J. Th. G. Overbeek with a thesis entitled ‘Adsorption of counterions.’ In 1963, he was appointed a Professor of Physical and Colloid Chemistry at Wageningen Agricultural College (later named Wageningen University), a position he kept until his retirement in 1995. Under his directorate, the Laboratory of Physical and Colloid Chemistry at the Wageningen University became a world-leading research center known for its key research in the fields of interfaces, macromolecules, and electrochemistry. Johannes Lyklema published almost 400 articles and wrote the five-volume text book ‘Fundamentals of Interface and Colloid Science’; he gave lectures in five languages and in five continents, received honorary doctorates in Belgium, Sweden, and Spain, and has been awarded with the Order of the Dutch Lion, to quote only a few of the distinctions and awards he received during his career. In his research, Johannes Lyklema paid particular attention to the analysis and interpretation of the electrosurface phenomena. He was the founder and chairman of the International Advisory Board of the conference series Electrokinetic Phenomena (ELKIN) and section editor on electrokinetics in this journal (Current Opinion in Colloid and Interface Science). We will remember Johannes Lyklema as an eminent scientist as well as a warm-hearted and outstanding person.     

New insights on structural dynamics of electrochemical interface by time-resolved surface X-ray diffraction

Many time-resolved measurements of electrochemical interface have been developed in conformity with the time scale of various transition. X-ray diffraction using synchrotron radiation is a powerful tool for structural determination of electrical double layer in real time. This short review describes structural dynamics of interfacial ions during the faraday and non-faraday processes in the time scale from microsecond to second.     

The zeta potential of PMMA in contact with electrolytes of various conditions: Theoretical and experimental investigation

Many unit operations required in microfluidics can be realised by electrokinetic phenomena. Electrokinetic phenomena are related to the presence of electrical surface charges of microfluidic substrates in contact with a liquid. As surface charges cannot be directly measured, the zeta potential is considered as the relevant parameter instead. PMMA is an attractive microfluidic substrate since micron‐sized features can be manufactured at low costs. However, the existence of PMMA surface charges is not well understood and the zeta potential data found in the literature show significant disagreement. In this article, we present a thorough investigation on the zeta potential of PMMA. We use computations of the potential distribution in the electrical double layer to predict the influence of various electrolyte parameters. The generated knowledge is compared to extensive experiments where we investigate the influence of ionic strength, pH, temperature and the nature of the electrolyte. Our findings imply that two different mechanisms influence the zeta potential depending on the pH value. We propose pure shielding in the acidic and neutral milieus while adsorption of co‐ions occurs along with shielding in the alkaline milieu.     

Hexanoyl chitosan/ENR25 blend polymer electrolyte system for electrical double layer capacitor

Single salt polymer electrolytes based on hexanoyl chitosan‐ENR25 were prepared by employing LiN (CF₃SO₂)₂ or LiCF₃SO₃ as the doping salt. Elastic property of hexanoyl chitosan was enhanced with the incorporation of ENR25. DSC studies revealed immiscibility of hexanoyl chitosan and ENR25, and dissolution of salt was favored in ENR25 phase. Conductivity enhancement was observed in the blends as compared with the neat hexanoyl chitosan. The maximum conductivities achieved for LiCF₃SO₃‐ and LiN (CF₃SO₂)₂‐comprising electrolyte systems were 1.6 × 10^?8 and 5.0 × 10^?7 S cm^?1, respectively. Deconvolution of spectra bands in the v_as (SO₂^?) mode of LiN (CF₃SO₂)₂ and v_s (SO₃^?) mode of LiCF₃SO₃ has been carried out to estimate the relative percentage of free ions and associated ions. The findings were in good agreement with conductivity results. Electrical double layer capacitor (EDLC) was fabricated with hexanoyl chitosan/ENR25 (90:10)‐LiN (CF₃SO₂)₂‐EmImTFSI electrolyte and activated carbon‐based electrodes. The conductivity and electrochemical stability window of hexanoyl chitosan/ENR25‐LiN (CF₃SO₂)₂‐EmImTFSI were ~10^?6 S cm^?1 and 2.7 V, respectively. The performance of the EDLC was analyzed by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and galvanostatic charge‐discharge (GCD). From GCD, the specific capacitance of EDLC was 58.0 F g^?1 at 0.6 mA cm^?2. The specific capacitance was found to decrease with increasing current density.     

A discussion on ion conductivity at cation exchange membrane/solution interface

By Gouy–Chapman–Stern–Grahame (CGSG) model, the electric double layer at ion exchange membrane/solution interface consists of two parts: the Stern layer and the diffusion layer. The ions in Stern layer are compacted and considered to be immobile. The relation of diffusion layer mean conductivity K with outer Stern layer potential φ₀, the boundary potential φ_δ and the electrolyte concentration C₀ is educed for symmetric electrolyte system. The results show that K is higher than that of the bulk solution and is greatly influenced by φ₀, φ_δ and C₀.The examination of PE01 cation exchange membrane/solution interface resistance R_e measured by ac impedance technique, shows that R_e value decreases quickly as the KCl electrolyte concentration rises. The effect of electrolyte concentration on the resistance of EDL can be explained by the electrical interactions between ions and charged groups of the membrane. Since the membrane/solution interface resistance is much higher than that of bulk solution, therefore, a further analysis based on the theory developed in this study proves that the ion transfer resistance R_e of membrane–solution interface predominantly occurs at Stern layer as a result of static electrical interaction.     

Influence of electrolyte characteristics on the electrochemical parameters of electrical double layer capacitors

Electrical double layer capacitors based on ideally polarizable nanoporous carbon electrodes in propylene carbonate with the addition of different 1 M Me₃EtNBF₄, Me₂Et₂NBF₄, MeEt₃NBF₄, Et₄NBF₄, Et₃PrNBF₄ and Et₃BuNBF₄ electrolytes have been tested by cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry and electrochemical impedance methods. The limits of ideal polarizability, low-frequency limiting capacitance and series resistance, time constant, Ragone plots (energy density vs. power density dependencies) and other characteristics have been discussed. The influence of the electrolyte molar mass on the electrochemical characteristics of the nanoporous carbon electrode cells has been established. The applicability limits of the Srinivasan and Weidner model have been tested.     

Influence of nanoporous carbon electrode thickness on the electrochemical characteristics of a nanoporous carbon|tetraethylammonium tetrafluoroborate in acetonitrile solution interface

Electrochemical characteristics for the nanoporous carbon|Et₄NBF₄+acetonitrile interface have been studied by cyclic voltammetry and impedance spectroscopy methods. The influence of the electrolyte concentration and thickness of the nanoporous electrode material on the shape of the cyclic voltammetry and impedance curves has been established and the reasons for these phenomena are discussed. A value of zero charge potential, depending slightly on the structure and concentration of the electrolyte, the region of ideal polarizability and other characteristics have been established. The nanoporous nature of the carbon electrodes introduces a distribution of resistive and capacitive elements, giving rise to complicated electrochemical behaviour. Analysis of the complex plane plots shows that the nanoporous carbon|Et₄NBF₄+acetonitrile electrolyte interface can be simulated by an equivalent circuit, in which two parallel conduction paths in the solid and liquid phases are interconnected by the double-layer capacitance in parallel with the complex admittance of the hindered reaction of the charge transfer or of the partial charge transfer (i.e. adsorption stage limited) process. The values of the characteristic frequency depend on the electrolyte concentration and electrode potential, i.e. on the nature of the ions adsorbed at the surface of the nanoporous carbon electrode. The value of the solid state phase resistance established is independent of the thickness of the electrode material.     

Computer simulation of the structure of the electrochemical double layer

We analyze and compare the structure of the electrochemical double layer obtained from molecular dynamics simulations of concentrated aqueous NaCl and CsF solutions near a model electrode. The electrode is modeled as a corrugated external potential in conjunction with the image charge model. Calculations are performed for uncharged electrodes and for electrodes carrying positive or negative surface charges.     

Transient behaviors of interacting electrical double layers

 The unsteady-state potential and space charge distributions between two identical, planar parallel charged surfaces immersed in an a:b electrolyte solution are examined theoretically. The effects of the ratio of the diffusivities of counterions and coions, D _con/D _co, the mean diffusivity (D _con D _co)^1/2, and the separation distance between two surfaces, H, on the transient distributions of electrical potential and space charges are investigated. The result of numerical simulation reveals that the extent of a system to reach its new equilibrium state depends largely on the magni-tude of a scaled time ν(=Dtκ²). For a fixed H, the greater the value of ν, the closer a system to its new equilibrium state. For constant H and ν, the smaller the ratio (D _con/D _co), the greater the deviation of a system from its new equilibrium state. In addition, the effect of D _con on this deviation is greater than that of D _co. Received: 3 September 1997 Accepted: 16 October 1997     

Importance of the electrical double layers for the rheological properties of colloidal liquids

Rheological studies of the colloidal liquids of silica spheres in the exhaustively deionized aqueous media are reported. Diameters of the spheres are between 5 nm and 60 nm. The suspensions showed liquid or weakly structured liquid. The shear viscosities in the highly deionized system are substantially higher than those expected from Einsteins equation. When sodium chloride is added, the shear and the dynamic viscosities decrease sharply, which suggests that the electrical double layer plays an important role for the rheological properties. The ratio of the viscosity observed divided by the viscosity calculated from Einsteins equation shows a maximum value for the spheres of 45 nm in diameter. It is highly plausible that the viscosity of the suspension is influenced substantially by the ratio of the thickness of the electrical double layer and sphere sizes. The effective volume fraction of sphere including the electrical double layer, which is estimated from the viscoelasticity, shows a drastic increase when the effective volume fraction reaches around 0.74 corresponding to the closest packing in hexagonal lattice. The importance of electrical double layers is clear for the rheological properties of colloidal liquids.     

Studies on the electrical double layer structure at the water/air interface

Effective dipole moments (calculated from experimental data of surface tension and electric surface potential) of some homologous normal alcohols and carboxylic acid were found to vary linearly with the number of carbon atoms in the hydrocarbon chain. Values of effective dipole moments were used for the determination of the effective dipole moments of water molecules , and the dielectric permittivity of the water subphase (₁), as well as in the vicinity of the hydrophobic part of adsorbed molecule (₂). The latter was found to decrease with the increase of the hydrocarbon chain length. Knowing the effective dipole moment of surface water dipoles, the average orientation angle () of water molecules at the inteface was estimated. The calculated potential drop of water varies within the range –0.038 to –2.38 V for two extreme orientations of water dipoles at the surface.     

Spreading of partially crystallized oil droplets on an air/water interface

The influence of crystalline fat on the amount and rate of oil spreading out of emulsion droplets onto either a clean or a protein-covered air/water interface was measured for β-lactoglobulin stabilized emulsions prepared with either anhydrous milk fat or a blend of hydrogenated palm fat and sunflower oil. At a clean interface, liquid oil present in the emulsion droplets was observed to completely spread out of the droplets unimpeded by the presence of a fat crystal network. Further, the presence of a fat crystal network in the emulsion droplets had no effect on the rate of oil spreading out of the droplets. At a protein-covered interface, the spreading behavior of emulsion droplets containing crystalline fat was evaluated in terms of the value of the surface pressure (Π_AW) at the point of spreading; Π_AW at spreading was unaffected by the presence of crystalline fat. We conclude it is unlikely that the role of crystalline fat in stabilizing aerated emulsions such as whipped cream is to reduce oil spreading at the air/water interface. However, the temperature of the system did have an effect: spontaneous spreading of emulsion droplets at clean air/water interfaces occurred for systems measured at 5 °C, but not for those measured at 22 or 37 °C. Thus, temperature may play a more important role in the whipping process than commonly thought: the entering and spreading of emulsion droplets was favored at lower temperatures because the surface pressure exerted by protein adsorbed at the air/water interface was reduced. This effect may facilitate the whipping process.     

Kinetics of hydrate formation using gas bubble suspended in water

An innovative experimental technique, which was devised to study the effects of temperature and pressure on the rate of hydrate formation at the surface of a gas bubble suspended in a stagnant water phase, was adapted in this work. Under such conditions, the hydrate-growth process is free from dynamic mass transfer factors. The rate of hydrate formation of methane and carbon dioxide has been systematically studied. The measured hydrate-growth data were correlated by using the molar Gibbs free energy as driving force. In the course of the experiments, some interesting surface phenomena were observed.     

非导电微球悬浊系的介电谱——弛豫机制的考察和界面信息的解析

研究了不同浓度电解质溶液中聚苯乙烯微球悬浊液的介电谱, 发现在40 Hz～110 MHz频率范围内出现了两个明显的弛豫. 在介电模型基础上对弛豫原因的理论分析结果表明, 千赫兹频域出现的弛豫是由粒子附近双电层中对离子的扩散所致, 兆赫兹附近出现的弛豫源于空间电荷在固/液界面的累积. 应用Hanai方法计算出体系内部的相参数, 获得了微球/溶液界面的电信息, 并给出了合理解释. 理论计算结果验证了模型和方法的适用性. 实验采用透析法调制样品, 有效地防止了体系内部粒子二次团聚的发生.     

气体扩散层中聚四氟乙烯的分布对质子交换膜燃料电池水淹的影响

通过在不同真空度下进行碳纸的聚四氟乙烯（PTFE）浸渍处理,考察了PTFE在碳纸中的分布对燃料电池水淹情况的影响. 碳纸PTFE浸渍过程中,抽真空作用可以将碳纸微孔中存留的空气移除,使PTFE更均匀地扩散到内部微孔中. 碳纸的断面电镜照片显示真空浸渍可以改善PTFE的分布. 在总浸渍量相同时,由于真空浸渍使更多的PTFE进入到碳纸内部微孔,故其表面的PTFE比例减少. 实验进一步考察了碳纸中亲水孔和憎水孔的分布,结果表明真空浸渍处理的碳纸具有更高比例的憎水孔. 将不同处理方法的碳纸制备成膜电极,通过全尺寸电池考察其性能,结果表明PTFE的均匀分布可以改善电池性能,并且电化学阻抗分析表明其有利于改善水淹问题.