6 research outputs found
Discrete aqueous solvent effects and possible attractive forces
We study discrete solvent effects on the interaction of two parallel charged
surfaces in ionic aqueous solution. These effects are taken into account by
adding a bilinear non-local term to the free energy of Poisson-Boltzmann
theory. We study numerically the density profile of ions between the two
plates, and the resulting inter-plate pressure. At large plate separations the
two plates are decoupled and the ion distribution can be characterized by an
effective Poisson-Boltzmann charge that is smaller than the nominal charge. The
pressure is thus reduced relative to Poisson-Boltzmann predictions. At plate
separations below ~2 nm the pressure is modified considerably, due to the
solvent mediated short-range attraction between ions in the the system. For
high surface charges this contribution can overcome the mean-field repulsion
giving rise to a net attraction between the plates.Comment: 12 figures in 16 files. 19 pages. Submitted to J. Chem. Phys., July
200
Hydration interactions: aqueous solvent effects in electric double layers
A model for ionic solutions with an attractive short-range pair interaction
between the ions is presented. The short-range interaction is accounted for by
adding a quadratic non-local term to the Poisson-Boltzmann free energy. The
model is used to study solvent effects in a planar electric double layer. The
counter-ion density is found to increase near the charged surface, as compared
with the Poisson-Boltzmann theory, and to decrease at larger distances. The ion
density profile is studied analytically in the case where the ion distribution
near the plate is dominated only by counter-ions. Further away from the plate
the density distribution can be described using a Poisson-Boltzmann theory with
an effective surface charge that is smaller than the actual one.Comment: 11 Figures in 13 files + LaTex file. 20 pages. Accepted to Phys. Rev.
E. Corrected typos and reference