Electric Fields across Water-Nitrobenzene Interfaces

Experimental Evidence of Enhanced Adsorption Dynamics at Liquid-Liquid Interfaces under an Electric Field

In this work, we investigate the adsorption of surface-active compounds at the water-oil interface subjected to an electric field. A fluid system comprising a pendent water drop surrounded by an asphaltene-rich organic phase is exposed to a DC uniform electric field. Two subfractions of asphaltenes having contrasting affinities to the water-oil interface are used as surface-active compounds. The microscopic changes in the drop shape, as a result of asphaltene adsorption, are captured and the drop profiles are analyzed using our in-house code for axisymmetric drop shape analysis (ADSA) under an electric field. The estimates of dynamic interfacial tension under different strengths of the field (E₀) and concentrations of the asphaltene subfractions (C) are used to calculate adsorption dynamics and surface excess. The experimental observations and careful analyses of the data suggest that the externally applied electric field significantly stimulates the mass-transfer rate at the liquid-liquid interface. The enhancement in mass transport at the water-oil interface can be attributed to the axisymmetric electrohydrodynamic fluid flows generated on either side of the interface. The boost in mass transport is evident from the growing decay in equilibrium interfacial tension (γ_eq) and increased surface excess (Γ_eq) upon increasing strength of the applied electric field. The mass-transfer intensification does not increase monotonously with the electric field strength above an optimum E₀, which is in agreement with the previous theoretical studies in the literature. However, these first explicit experimental measurements of adsorption at an interface under an electric field suggest that the optimum E₀ is determined by characteristics of the surface-active molecules.

A layered aluminum-based metal-organic framework as a superior trap for nitrobenzene capture via an intercalation role

Layered materials with porous layers are of great interest due to their intriguing structural topologies and potential applications as new adsorbents. In this study, a layered aluminum-based metal-organic framework, i.e. Al-TCPP, was successfully synthesized via a facile method for the adsorptive removal of nitrobenzene (NB). The as-synthesized Al-TCPP exhibited a typical layered structure and can be stable in water at pH = 5-7. Batch experimental results showed a superior adsorption performance towards NB with a maximum adsorption capability of 1.85 mg mg^-1, and an exceptionally rapid equilibrium within 1 min, yielding an overall adsorptive performance superior to the state-of-the-art NB adsorbents reported so far. The morphology and crystallinity of the Al-TCPP adsorbent basically retain the original status after the capture of NB. Importantly, X-ray diffraction patterns of the samples after the NB adsorption revealed that the possible NB intercalation took place in layered Al-TCPP and expanded the interlayer space during the adsorption, which greatly enriched the adsorption sites and thus achieved the outstanding performance. This work highlights new prospects in designing layered materials for use in environmental remediation.

Methodology to calculate interfacial tension under electric field using pendent drop profile analysis

In this paper, we present a methodology to calculate interfacial tension of a water-oil interface under an electric field. The Young-Laplace equation, conventionally used to estimate surface/interfacial tension in axisymmetric drop shape analysis (ADSA), is modified to include electrostatic effects. The solution needs normal component of the Maxwell stress at the interface which is calculated separately by solving the Laplace equation for electric potential. The optimized fitting between the resulting theoretical profile and the experimentally obtained profile results into Bond number which is used to calculate the apparent value of interfacial tension. The algorithm can process a large number of drop profiles in one go. The methodology can be applied in the ADSA studies for adsorption dynamics where a drop is held for a long time while surface active molecules are allowed to adsorb. The method discussed in this paper will help the future studies in adsorption dynamics at fluid interfaces under electric field and the resulting interfacial property evolution.

Phospholipids at the oil/water interface: adsorption and interfacial phenomena in an electric field

Interfacial effects produced in an immiscible liquid system by the action of an external electric field have been considered. The addition of small amounts of neutral phospholipids to the nonaqueous phase has been shown to result in a marked increase in the sensitivity of the interfacial boundary to the voltage applied, which is manifested by: (i) an accelerated decrease of the interfacial tension after the two immiscible liquid phases have been brought into contact; (ii) reduced interfacial tension, by 20-30 mN/m, at the oil/water interface at field strengths of 1-10 kV/m (the interfacial tension drop in the absence of phospholipids does not exceed 5 mN/m); (iii) development of electrohydrodynamic instability at the planar dividing surface between phases; and (iv) dispersion of water into the nonaqueous phase at smaller field strengths by a factor of about 100 as compared to those normally required in the absence of phospholipids. In order to gain a deeper insight into the mechanisms of interfacial phenomena, mainly exemplified by the n-heptane/water system containing phosphatidylcholine, three major issues have been considered: (1) Kinetics of the adsorption of phospholipid at the oil/water interface from the nonaqueous phase, and effects produced by exposure to an external electric field; also, the adsorption under equilibrium conditions, and the structure of the adsorption layer formed. (2) Interactions between neutral phospholipid and inorganic or organic ions at the interfacial boundary under the voltage applied. (3) Conditions for the occurrence of electrohydrodynamic instability at the dividing surface between oil and water and the formation of a water-in-oil emulsion; also aggregation and gelation processes induced in the nonaqueous phospholipid solution bulk by the action of a weak external electric field. Throughout the present paper, an attempt has been made to relate the microscopic behaviour of phospholipids under an external electric field to macroscopically observable properties at the movable interfacial boundaries. The adsorption studies have shown that phosphatidylcholine is prone to self-organization into a liquid-crystalline state at an immiscible liquid interface. The disintegration of the interfacial lipid film thus formed by the action of a weak electric field has been explained as due to an enhanced electrohydrodynamic instability of liquid crystals. This results in the formation of either an emulsion, or a microemulsion in the nonaqueous solution bulk. The formation of a microemulsion is manifested by the appearance of an optically anisotropic gel, stable only under an external applied electric field, in the nonaqueous solution bulk.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

The surface compartment model: a theory of ion transport focused on ionic processes in the electrical double layers at membrane protein surfaces

This paper is a review of the surface compartment model of ion flow across the channels of natural membranes. The model emphasizes the role of electrical double layers in ion transport and is derived from first principles. When the surface compartment model is applied to the membrane of an excitable cell, (e.g., the squid axon), one can calculate voltage clamp currents that are similar to those observed in the sodium and potassium channels of excitable membranes. The difference in the selectivity of the two types of ion channel appears to be determined by the difference in gating current, and is in line with measurements on the sodium and potassium channels of squid axon. These results indicate that there is a kinetic basis for the selectivity of voltage gated channels and suggest that other types of channels may operate by related mechanisms. The focus of the surface compartment model on charged surfaces has led to a description of the channel opening/closing process in terms of surface free energy, assuming an analogy to the aggregation/disaggregation reactions in oligomeric proteins. The opening of voltage gated oligomeric channels can be formulated in terms of variations in the surface free energy that are triggered by changes in the surface charge density. On this basis, it is possible to introduce gating phenomena into the surface compartment model and to couple the channel processes with charge movements.