Charge Inversion at High Ionic Strength Studied by Streaming Currents

Frank H. J. van der Heyden, Derek Stein, Koen Besteman, Serge G. Lemay, and Cees Dekker
Phys. Rev. Lett. 96, 224502 – Published 6 June 2006

Abstract

We report charge inversion, the sign reversal of the effective surface charge in the presence of multivalent counterions, for the biologically relevant regimes of divalent ions and mixtures of monovalent and multivalent ions. Using streaming currents, the pressure-driven transport of countercharges in the diffuse layer, we find that charge inversion occurs in rectangular silica nanochannels at high concentrations of divalent ions. Strong monovalent screening is found to cancel charge inversion, restoring the original surface charge polarity. An analytical model based on ion correlations successfully describes our observations.

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  • Received 12 January 2006

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.96.224502

©2006 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Frank H. J. van der Heyden, Derek Stein, Koen Besteman, Serge G. Lemay, and Cees Dekker

  • Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, Lorentzweg 1, 2628 CJ Delft, The Netherlands

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Issue

Vol. 96, Iss. 22 — 9 June 2006

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