Journal of Physical Chemistry B, Vol.114, No.24, 8043-8055, 2010
Diffusiophoresis of an Ellipsoid along the Axis of a Cylindrical Pore
The influences of a boundary and the shape of a particle on its diffusiophoretic behavior are examined by considering the diffusiophoresis of a charged ellipsoid along the axis of an uncharged cylindrical pore filled with electrolyte solutions. The diffusiophoretic mobility of the particle under various conditions is evaluated through varying the particle aspect ratio, the size of the particle, the thickness of the double layer, the diffusivities of co-ions and counterions, and the level of the surface potential. Because the double-layer polarization, the electrophoresis effect, the boundary effect, and the electrical interaction between the particle and the co-ions outside the double layer all play a role, the diffusiophoretic behavior of the particle is complicated. For a fixed particle volume, the relative magnitude of the diffusiophoretic mobilities of particles of various shapes depends highly on the degree of the boundary effect. It is possible for a particle to migrate toward the low-concentration side, regardless of the level of the surface potential, which is not observed in the case of a sphere in a planar slit or in a spherical cavity.