Boundary-induced electrophoresis of uncharged conducting particles: remote wall approximations

Abstract

An initially uncharged ideally polarizable particle is freely suspended in an electrolyte solution in the vicinity of an uncharged dielectric wall. A uniform electric field is externally applied parallel to the wall, inflicting particle drift perpendicular to it. Assuming a thin Debye thickness, the electrokinetic flow is analysed for large particle–wall separations using reflection methods, thereby yielding an asymptotic approximation for the particle velocity. The leading-order correction term in that approximations stems from wall polarization.