Electrokinetic flow and electroviscous effect in a charged slit-like microfluidic channel with nonlinear Poisson-Boltzmann field

Abstract

In cases of the microfluidic channel, the electrokinetic influence on the transport behavior can be found. The externally applied body force originated from the electrostatic interaction between the nonlinear Poisson-Boltzmann field and the flow-induced electrical field is applied in the equation of motion. The electrostatic potential profile is computed a priori by applying the finite difference scheme, and an analytical solution to the Navier-Stokes equation of motion for slit-like microchannel is obtained via the Green's function. An explicit analytical expression for the induced electrokinetic potential is derived as functions of relevant physicochemical parameters. The effects of the electric double layer, the zeta potential of the solid surface, and the charge condition of the channel wall on the velocity profile as well as the electroviscous behavior are examined. With increases in either electric double layer or zeta potential, the average fluid velocity in the channel of same charge is entirely reduced, whereas the electroviscous effect becomes stronger. We observed an opposite behavior in the channel of opposite charge, where the attractive electrostatic interactions are presented.