TY - JOUR
T1 - Phase-separation in ion-containing mixtures in electric fields
AU - Tsori, Yoav
AU - Leibler, Ludwik
PY - 2007/5/1
Y1 - 2007/5/1
N2 - When a liquid mixture is subjected to external electric fields, ionic screening leads to field gradients. We point out that, if the mixture is initially in the homogeneous phase, this screening can bring about a robust phase-separation transition with two main features: (i) the phase separation is expected to occur in any electrode geometry, and (ii) the voltage required is typically of the order of 1 V and even less. We discuss several applications of the effect relevant to the field of microfluidics, focusing on the creation of a nanometer-scale lubrication layer in the phase separation process and the modification of the slip length.
AB - When a liquid mixture is subjected to external electric fields, ionic screening leads to field gradients. We point out that, if the mixture is initially in the homogeneous phase, this screening can bring about a robust phase-separation transition with two main features: (i) the phase separation is expected to occur in any electrode geometry, and (ii) the voltage required is typically of the order of 1 V and even less. We discuss several applications of the effect relevant to the field of microfluidics, focusing on the creation of a nanometer-scale lubrication layer in the phase separation process and the modification of the slip length.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=34547355019&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1073/pnas.0607746104
DO - 10.1073/pnas.0607746104
M3 - Article
C2 - 17442755
AN - SCOPUS:34547355019
SN - 0027-8424
VL - 104
SP - 7348
EP - 7350
JO - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
JF - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
IS - 18
ER -