Basic analysis of induced-charge electrophoresis using the boundary element method

Recent advancement in induced-charge electrokinetic phenomena and their micro- and nano-fluidic applications

Induced-charge electrokinetics (ICEK) remains a hot topic due to its promising applications in micro- and nano-fluidics. Over the past decade, researchers have made a great advancement in both fundamental studies and application developments. They captured (I) a flow reversal in induced-charge electroosmosis (ICEO) and attributed it to the phase delay effect of ions, (II) a chaotic ICEO and attributed it to the concentration polarization in the bulk solution, (III) a non-quadratic correlation for ICEO of non-Newtonian fluids and attributed it to the power-law viscosity, (IV) an induced-charge electrophoretic (ICEP) rotation of Janus doublets, etc. Furthermore, various ICEK-based micro- and nano-fluidic devices have been developed, namely, micropumps, particle focusers, trappers, sorters, and nanopore ion diodes. The present article provides a comprehensive review on the recent advancement of ICEK. Firstly, the fundamental studies of ICEK are introduced; then the micro- and nano-fluidic applications based on ICEK are presented; lastly, promising future directions for both fundamental and applications are discussed. This review presents the basic framework of ICEK, and can facilitate the development of ICEK-based applications.

Strategies on improving the micro-fluidic devices using the nonlinear electro- and thermo-kinetic phenomena

Surface science is key to innovations on microfluidics, smart materials, and future non-equilibrium systems. However, challenging issues still exist in this field. In this article, from the viewpoint of the fundamental design, we will briefly review our strategies on improving the micro-fluidic devices using the nonlinear electro- and thermo-kinetic phenomena. In particular, we will review the microfluidic applications using ICEO, the correction based on the ion-conserving Poisson-Boltzmann theory, the direct simulation on ICEO, and the new horizon such as nonlinear thermo-kinetic phenomena and the artificial cilia.

Nonlinear thermokinetic phenomena due to the Seebeck effect

We propose a novel mechanism to produce nonlinear thermokinetic vortex flows around a circular cylinder with ideally high thermal conductivity in an electrolyte. That is, the nonlinear thermokinetic slip velocity, which is proportional to the square of the temperature gradient [∇(T)0(2)], is derived based on the electrolyte Seebeck effect, heat conduction equation, and Helmholtz–Smoluchowski formula. Different from conventional linear thermokinetic theory, our theory predicts that the inversion of the temperature gradient does not change the direction of the thermokinetic flows and thus a Janus particle using this phenomenon can move to the both hotter and colder regions in a temperature gradient field by changing the direction of its dielectric end. Our findings bridge the gap between the electro- and thermo-kinetic phenomena and provide an integrated physical viewpoint for the interface science.