Biophysics Seminar- “Charge Inversion in the Electrical Double Layer: Application and Theory” with Dr. Dick Gillespie
Biophysics Seminar
March 1, 2024
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Location
SES 2214
Calendar
Download iCal FileProf. Dirk Gillespie
Department of Physiology and Biophysics
Rush University Medical Center
Abstract: The electrical double layer has been studied for more than a century, but it remains relevant because of new technological applications and because it is still not totally understood from a theoretical perspective. Even for relatively simple models of ions (here, charged hard spheres),there are few simple but accurate theories of the electrochemical potential (i.e., the energy needed to insert an ion). This is important because there are counterintuitive macroscopic phenomena that arise from the less well understood components of the electrochemical potential. One example is charge inversion, where more counterions than necessary to screen a surface charge lead to an excess of co-ions and a reversal of the sign of the electrostatic potential. Here, we examine how electrostatic correlations (beyond the mean-field) contribute to the electrochemical potential and produce charge inversion. Potential applications of charge inversion are also discussed.
Date posted
Jan 18, 2024
Date updated
Feb 28, 2024