| Abstract: |
| The Poisson-Nernst-Planck (PNP) theory is one of the most widely used analytical methods to describe electrokinetic phenomena for electrolytes. The model, however, considers isolated charges and thus is valid only for dilute ion concentrations. The key importance of concentrated electrolytes in applications has led to the development of a large family of generalized PNP models.
However, the wide family of generalized PNP models fails to capture key phenomena recently observed in experiments and simulations, such as self-assembly and under-screening in concentrated electrolytes.
In this talk, we present a thermodynamically consistent mean-field model for concentrated solutions that goes beyond the PNP framework. We show that the model describes bulk and interfacial pattern-formation, map the parameter regimes of distinct self-assembly behaviors and the relevant bifurcation associated with them, and consider their effect on electrostatic screening and transport. In particular, we reveal a novel mechanism of under-screening. |
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