Transport Properties in Nanochannels: Ionic Size-, Permittivity-, and Viscosity-Related Effects

Abstract

The transport properties in nanochannels are examined using a modified electrokinetic model (MEM) that takes into account the finite ion size by modeling the hydrated ions as charged dielectric spheres so that the electrolyte solution becomes a nonhomogeneous fluid characterized by permittivity and viscosity values that are both functions of the local ionic concentrations. We show that the simultaneous consideration of ionic size, permittivity, and viscosity effects always improve on the predictions of the standard electrokinetic model for point-like ions (SEM), with corrections that are significant in the nanofluidic system’s parameter range. The results reported herein are expected to provide a deeper understanding of the ion transport and fluid flow in nanofluidic devices.