Average Surface Charge Density Research Articles

Assessing charge accumulation and flashover phenomena on silicone rubber surface exposed to salt-containing droplets under direct current voltage

In damp and salt-fog environments, silicone rubber composite insulators are prone to forming dispersed droplets that absorb airborne salt nuclei, leading to charge accumulation and potentially causing flashovers that threaten transmission line stability. Regrettably, these concerns have not yet received sufficient attention from relevant researchers. This study examines the surface charge accumulation and flashover characteristics of silicone rubber insulators with droplets of varying electrical conductivity. The droplets can fix charges, as the conductivity of droplets on insulator surfaces increases, the migration rate of surface charges accelerates, causing distortion of the electric field and a significant increase the area of high-density charge regions on the sample surface. Compared with dry surfaces, increasing the equivalent salt density of salt-containing droplets attached to the surface from mild to severe (with conductivity increasing from 800 μS/cm to 2800 μS/cm) leads to a 25 %-40 % increase in the average surface charge density. After adsorbing charges, the salt droplets shorten the discharge development path, making it easier to trigger interface discharge. Compared with dry surfaces, the average flashover voltage of the salt droplets is reduced by at least 30 %. This study offers valuable analysis on charge accumulation and flashover for silicone rubber insulators in salt-fog environments.

Recent advances in high charge density triboelectric nanogenerators

Abstract Triboelectric materials with high charge density are the building-block for the commercial application of triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs). Unstable dynamic processes influence the change of the charge density on the surface and inside of triboelectric materials. The charge density of triboelectric materials depends on the surface and the internal charge transfer processes. The focus of this review is on recent advances in high charge density triboelectric materials and advances in the fabrication of TENGs. We summarize the existing strategies for achieving high charge density in triboelectric materials as well as their fundamental properties. We then review current optimization methods for regulating dynamic charge transfer processes to increase the output charge density: first, increasing charge injection and limiting charge dissipation to achieve a high average surface charge density, and second, regulating the internal charge transfer process and storing charge in triboelectric materials to increase the output charge density. Finally, we present the challenges and prospects in developing high-performance triboelectric materials.

Phase transitions of ionic fluids in nanoporous electrodes

In this work, we utilise grand canonical Metropolis Monte Carlo simulations, to establish pore-induced freezing of restricted primitive model fluids. A planar pore model is utilised, with walls that are initially neutral, and either non-conducting or perfectly conducting. The phase of the confined electrolyte (solid/fluid) displays an oscillatory dependence on surface separation, in narrow pores. Conditions are chosen so that the bulk is composed of a stable fluid electrolyte. The tendency for the electrolyte to freeze in narrow pores is somewhat stronger in systems with non-conducting walls. We also demonstrate that an applied potential will, above a threshold value, melt a frozen electrolyte. In these cases, the capacitance, as measured by the average surface charge density divided by the applied potential, will be almost vanishing if the applied potential is below this threshold value. We do not see any evidence for a “superionic fluid”, which has been hypothesised to generate a strong capacitance in narrow pores, due to an efficient screening of like-charge repulsions by image charges.Graphic abstract

In-Gel Isolation and Characterization of Large (and Other) Phages.

We review some aspects of the rapid isolation of, screening for and characterization of jumbo phages, i.e., phages that have dsDNA genomes longer than 200 Kb. The first aspect is that, as plaque-supporting gels become more concentrated, jumbo phage plaques become smaller. Dilute agarose gels are better than conventional agar gels for supporting plaques of both jumbo phages and, prospectively, the even larger (>520 Kb genome), not-yet-isolated mega-phages. Second, dilute agarose gels stimulate propagation of at least some jumbo phages. Third, in-plaque techniques exist for screening for both phage aggregation and high-in-magnitude, negative average electrical surface charge density. The latter is possibly correlated with high phage persistence in blood. Fourth, electron microscopy of a thin section of a phage plaque reveals phage type, size and some phage life cycle information. Fifth, in-gel propagation is an effective preparative technique for at least some jumbo phages. Sixth, centrifugation through sucrose density gradients is a relatively non-destructive jumbo phage purification technique. These basics have ramifications in the development of procedures for (1) use of jumbo phages for phage therapy of infectious disease, (2) exploration of genomic diversity and evolution and (3) obtaining accurate metagenomic analyses.

Pore connectivity effects on the internal surface electric charge of mesoporous silica

Nano-scale confinements within mesoporous systems develop overlapping electric double layers (EDL) such that the existing theoretical models cannot predict the electric potential distributions and resulting surface charges. In addition, ionic conditions undergo local variation through connections between the pore voids and pore throats. For the first time in literature, we studied the charging behavior of mesoporous silica in terms of the pore to throat size ratio (Rpt) to characterize the pore connectivity effects, in addition to porosity (є) and pore size (H). Both local and average surface charge densities inside mesoporous silica were examined by varying these parameters systematically. Results showed that the magnitude of surface charge density decreased with increasing EDL overlap and decreasing connectivity effects. We formulized this behavior and developed an extended model to predict mesoporous silica’s internal charge as a function of porosity, pore size, and pore to throat size ratio.

Nanofiltration performance of conical and hourglass nanopores

Pressure-driven ion transport through conical and hourglass-shape (double conical) nanopores is investigated theoretically by solving the Poisson, Nernst-Planck and Navier-Stokes equations numerically. Due to the electrostatic asymmetry in conical nanopores, these latter exhibit nanofiltration rectification properties, i.e. they reject salts differently depending if the solution enters the nanopore from its base or its tip. The filtration rectification properties of conical nanopores result from two different phenomena, (i) the co-ion exclusion at the pore mouth and (ii) the sign and the magnitude of the (pressure-induced) electric field arising through the nanopores. Hourglass-shape nanopores exhibit improved separation performance compared with cylindrical and conical nanopores with identical average diameter, length and surface charge density. Notably, they allow target salt rejections to be reached with a smaller driving force than the other pore geometries, which makes them attractive candidates for the design of advanced nanofiltration membranes allowing less energy intensive separations.

Geometry effect on electrokinetic flow and ionic conductance in pH-regulated nanochannels

Semi-analytical solutions are obtained for the electrical potential, electroosmotic velocity, ionic conductance, and surface physicochemical properties associated with long pH-regulated nanochannels of arbitrary but constant cross-sectional area. The effects of electric double layer overlap, multiple ionic species, and surface association/dissociation reactions are all taken into account, assuming low surface potentials. The method of analysis includes series solutions which the pertinent coefficients are obtained by applying the wall boundary conditions using either of the least-squares or point matching techniques. Although the procedure is general enough to be applied to almost any arbitrary cross section, nine nanogeometries including polygonal, trapezoidal, double-trapezoidal, rectangular, elliptical, semi-elliptical, isosceles triangular, rhombic, and isotropically etched profiles are selected for presentation. For the special case of an elliptic cross section, full analytical solutions are also obtained utilizing the Mathieu functions. We show that the geometrical configuration plays a key role in determination of the ionic conductance, surface charge density, electrical potential and velocity fields, and proton enhancement. In this respect, the net electric charge and convective ionic conductance are higher for channels of larger perimeter to area ratio, whereas the opposite is true for the average surface charge density and mean velocity; the geometry impact on the two latest ones, however, vanishes if the background salt concentration is high enough. Moreover, we demonstrate that considering a constant surface potential equal to the average charge-regulated potential provides sufficiently accurate results for smooth geometries such as an ellipse at medium-high aspect ratios but leads to significant errors for geometries having narrow corners such as a triangle.

Effective Electrostatic Interactions Between Two Overall Neutral Surfaces with Quenched Charge Heterogeneity Over Atomic Length Scale

Using Monte Carlo results as a reference, a classical density functional theory (CDFT) is shown to reliably predict the forces between two heterogeneously charged surfaces immersed in an electrolyte solution, whereas the Poisson–Boltzmann (PB) theory is demonstrated to deteriorate obviously for the same system even if the system parameters considered fall within the validity range of the PB theory in the homogeneously charged surfaces. By applying the tested CDFT, we study the effective electrostatic potential of mean force (EPMF) between two face–face planar and hard surfaces of zero net charge on which positive and negative charges are separated and considered to present as discontinuous spots on the inside edges of the two surfaces. Main conclusions are summarized as follows: (i) strength of the EPMF in the surface charge separation case is very sensitively and positively correlated with the surface charge separation level and valency of the salt ion. Particularly, the charge separation level and the salt ion valency have a synergistic effect, which makes high limit of the EPMF strength in the surface charge separation case significantly go beyond that of the ideal homogeneously charged surface counterpart at average surface charge density similar to the average surface positive or negative charge density in the charge separation case. (ii) The surface charge distribution patterns mainly influence sign of the EPMF: symmetrical and asymmetrical patterns induce repulsive and attractive (at small distances) EPMF, respectively; but with low valency salt ions and low charge separation level the opposite may be the case. With simultaneous presence of both higher valency cation and anion, the EPMF can be repulsive at intermediate distances for asymmetrical patterns. (iii) Salt ion size has a significant impact, which makes the EPMF tend to become more and more repulsive with the ion diameter regardless of the surface charge distribution patterns and the valency of the salt ion; whereas if the 1:1 type electrolyte and the symmetrical patterns are considered, then the opposite may be the case. All of these findings can be explained self-consistently from several perspectives: an excess adsorption of the salt ions (induced by the surface charge separation) serving to raise the osmotic pressure between the plates, configuration fine-tuning in the thinner ion adsorption layer driven by the energy decrease principle, direct Coulombic interactions operating between charged objects on the two face-to-face plates involved, and net charge strength in the ion adsorption layer responsible for the net electrostatic repulsion.

Application of the surface potential data to elucidate interfacial equilibrium at ceria/aqueous electrolyte interface

Interfacial properties of ceria (CeO2) nanoparticles and highly organized ceria crystal planes {111} and {100} in the aqueous electrolyte solution were studied. It was confirmed by high resolution electron spectroscopy that a primary ceria nanoparticle consists mostly of two crystal planes {111} and {100} with different surface sites exposed to the aqueous electrolyte solution. Interfacial properties of ceria nanoparticles are directly related to the reactivity and surface densities of existing surface sites. However, surface characterization (potentiometric titrations and electrophoretic measurements) provides only some kind of average surface properties i.e. average surface charge densities and surface potentials. The point of zero charge (pHpzc) of ceria nanoparticles was measured to be between 6.4 and 8.7, depending on the electrolyte concentration, and the isoelectric point at pHiep = 6.5. With the purpose of understanding ceria nanoparticles surface charging the inner surface potentials of ceria macro crystal planes {111} and {100} were measured for the first time, by means of single crystal electrodes, as a function of pH and ionic strength. The inner surface potential directly affects the state of ionic species bound to a certain surface plane and is thus an essential parameter governing interfacial equilibrium. From the measured Ψ 0(pH) data and applying the Multi Site Complexation Model the thermodynamic equilibrium constants of doubly-coordinated ≡Ce2-OH (at the {100} ceria crystal plane) as well as singly-coordinated ≡Ce1-OH and triply-coordinated ≡Ce3-OH (at the {111} ceria crystal plane) were evaluated. The Ψ 0(pH) function differs for two examined ceria planes, however the inner surface potentials of both planes depend on ionic strength having a broad electroneutrality region between pH = 6 and pH = 9.

Modeling the electrostatic contribution to the line tension between lipid membrane domains using Poisson–Boltzmann theory

The line tension, which characterizes the excess free energy per unit length of the boundary between different lipid membrane domains, is one of the factors that determines domain size and dynamics. Consequently, experimental methods and corresponding modeling studies related to the line tension continue to attract significant interest. Considering a planar binary lipid layer with two domains consisting of neutral and anionic lipids, one with a higher and one with a lower average surface charge density, we calculate the electrostatic contribution to the line tension at the domain boundary using mean-field electrostatics. The influence of lipid mobility in each phase is studied through solutions of the Poisson–Boltzmann equation for different sets of boundary conditions that include the limiting cases of fixing the local surface charge density or surface potential, and the intermediate case of allowing the lipids to migrate subject to a demixing entropy penalty. In addition to our numerical results, we derive simple analytic expressions for the electrostatic contribution to the line tension in the linearized Debye–Huckel limit. We find the electrostatic contribution to the line tension to be negative with magnitudes on the order of piconewton close to physiological conditions. Because this is comparable to experimentally reported values of the total line tension, we conclude that electrostatic interactions generally provide an important contribution to the total line tension between differently charged domains in lipid bilayers.

Determination of charge on asphaltene nanoaggregates in air using electrostatic force microscopy.

In this paper, we provide measurement of charge of asphaltene nanoaggregates in air using electrostatic force microscopy. We obtain the average surface charge density of the nanoaggregates as 43.7 nC/cm(2). Among the different aspects of asphaltene, one of the least known is its charge and the effect of solvent and compositional variability (of asphaltene) in dictating this charge. For aqueous systems, asphaltene charge demonstrates a strong dependence on the pH and the salt concentration, indicating that a possible ionization of the surface groups leads to this charging. On the contrary, for asphaltene in nonpolar media (e.g., toluene and heptane), it is believed that asphaltene native charge is central in dictating this charging. This native charge is the solvent-independent charge or the asphaltene charge in air. Our measurements, therefore, provide the first direct quantification (i.e., a quantification of charge not from the measurement of the asphaltene mobilities, which in turn requires specification of the nonuniform asphaltene size distribution) of this asphaltene native charge by conducting the measurements in air. Similar measurements in a solvent may introduce a solvent-dependent value, thereby forbidding not only the exact quantification of this native charge but also the understanding of the specific role of the solvent. This measurement, therefore, will provide a useful starting point to quantify the mechanism of asphaltene charging in nonpolar solvents with important ramifications in deciphering the role of asphaltene in transport and handling of crude and heavy oils.

Experimental estimation of the surface charge density in micro dielectric barrier discharges

Here we report on the experimental studies of discharge processes in micro dielectric barrier gas discharge cells (μ-DBD). We propose a method, which allows us to measure the average surface charge density on the dielectric barriers of the discharge cell. The method is based on the measurement of the delay time between the polarity change of the applied voltage and the peak of the active discharge current. This procedure is applicable for cells of different sizes and geometries. It is especially advantageous for micro discharge cells, in which direct measurements are not applicable.

Characterization of surface charge and mechanical properties of chitosan/alginate based biomaterials

This study aims to examine mechanical properties and surface charge characteristics of chitosan/alginate-based films for biomedical applications. By varying the concentrations of chitosan and alginate, we have developed films with varying surface charge densities and mechanical characteristics. The surface charge densities of these films were determined by applying an analytical model on force curves derived from an atomic force microscope (AFM). The average surface charge densities of films containing 60% chitosan and 80% chitosan were found to be − 0.46 mC/m 2 and − 0.32 mC/m 2, respectively. The surface charge density of 90% chitosan containing films was found to be neutral. The elastic moduli and the water content were found to be decreasing with increasing chitosan concentration. The films with 60%, 80% and 90% chitosan gained 93.5 ± 6.6%, 217.1 ± 22.1% and 396.8 ± 67.5% of their initial weight, respectively. Their elastic moduli were found to be 2.6 ± 0.14 MPa, 1.9 ± 0.27 MPa and 0.93 ± 0.12 MPa, respectively. The trend observed in the mechanical response of these films has been attributed to the combined effect of the concentration of polyelectrolyte complexes (PEC) and the amount of water absorbed. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy experiments indicate the presence of higher alginate on the surface of the films compared to the bulk in all films. The presence of higher alginate on surface is consistent with negative surface charge densities of these films, determined from AFM experiments.

Charge regulation and ionic screening of patchy surfaces

The properties of surfaces with charge-regulated patches are studied using nonlinear Poisson-Boltzmann theory. Using a mode expansion to solve the nonlinear problem efficiently, we reveal the charging behavior of Debye-length sized patches. We find that the patches charge up to higher charge densities if their size is relatively small and if they are well separated. The numerical results are used to construct a basic analytical model which predicts the average surface charge density on surfaces with patchy chargeable groups.

Microstructure of microemulsion in MEEKC

The influences of the composition of microemulsion on the microstructure including dimensions and zeta potentials of microdroplets were measured in details. The average dynamic dimension of microdroplets was measured by dynamic laser light scattering, and zeta potential was determined to characterize average surface charge density of microdroplets. The experiment results showed that increase of the amount of surfactant resulted in decrease of microdroplet size but almost invariant zeta potential, which would enlarge migration time of the microdroplet in MEEKC. With increment of cosurfactant concentration, the microdroplet size had an increasing trend, whereas the zeta potential decreased. Thus, observed migration velocity of microdroplets increased, which made the separation window in MEEKC shortened. Neither dimension nor zeta potential of microdroplets changed by varying both the type and the amount of the oil phase. Adding organic solvent as modifier to microemulsion did not change the microdroplet size, but lowered zeta potential. The migration time of microdroplet still became larger, since EOF slowed down owing to organic solvent in capillary. So, besides increment of surfactant concentration, organic additive could also enlarge the separation window. Increase of cosurfactant concentration was beneficial for separation efficiency thanks to the looser structure of swollen microdroplet, and the peak sharpening might compensate for the resolution and peak capacity owing to a narrow separation window. Except the oil phase, tuning the composition of microemulsion would change the microstructure, eventually could be exploited to optimize the resolution and save analysis time in MEEKC.

Bending rigidity of mixed phospholipid bilayers and the equilibrium radius of corresponding vesicles

In spite of the large mean bending moduli observed for phospholipid bilayers, stable vesicle phases were recently observed for dilute solutions of charged phospholipids. A correspondingly large negative Gaussian bending modulus associated with charged membranes results in an overall curvature energy that is so low that entropic stabilization is possible. The mean bending modulus determines the membrane persistence length and therefore it is reasonable that there is a correlation between the membrane rigidity and the size of the lipid vesicles. Here we show that in mixtures of the anionic phospholipid dioleoylphosphatidylglycerol and the zwitterionic phospholipid dioleoylphosphatidylcholine the radius of vesicles produced by repetitive freeze-thaw cycles is considerably smaller than expected from the rigidities of the corresponding pure lipid bilayers. Self-consistent field calculations indicate that the changes in the equilibrium radius of mixed bilayers can be attributed to the dependences of the mean bending modulus k(c) on lipid mixing and the average surface charge density.

Negative capacitance and instability at electrified interfaces: Lessons from the study of membrane capacitors

Various models leading to predictions of negative capacitance, C,are brieflyreviewed. Their relation to the nature of electric control is discussed. Wereconfirm that the calculated double layer capacitance can be negative un-der σ-control – an artificial construct that requires uniform distribution ofthe electrode surface charge density, σ. However, only the total charge q(or the average surface charge density σ) can be experimentally fixed inisolated cell studies (q-control). For thoseσ where C becomes negativeunder σ-control, the transition toq-control (i.e. relaxing the lateral changedensity distribution, fixing its mean value to σ) leads to instability of the uni-form distribution and a transition to a non-uniform phase. As an illustration,a “membrane capacitor” model is discussed. This exactly solvable model,allowing for both uniform and inhomogeneous relaxation of the electricaldouble layer, helps to demonstrate both the onset and some important fea-tures of the instability. Possibilities for further development are discussedbriefly.Key words: electrochemical interfaces, instabilities and phase transitions,electric double layers, capacitance, membrane electroporationPACS: 68.35.Rh, 68.35.Md, 82.45.Mp, 82.45.Rr, 82.45.Uv, 68.08.-p,73.30.+y

Altering Surface Charge Nonuniformity on Individual Colloidal Particles

Charge nonuniformity (sigmazeta) was altered on individual polystyrene latex particles and measured using the novel experimental technique of rotational electrophoresis. It has recently been shown that unaltered sulfated latices often have significant charge nonuniformity (sigmazeta = 100 mV) on individual particles. Here it is shown that anionic polyelectrolytes and surfactants reduce the native charge nonuniformity on negatively charged particles by 80% (sigmazeta = 20 mV), even while leaving the average surface charge density almost unchanged. Reduction of charge uniformity occurs as large domains of nonuniformity are minimized, giving a more random distribution of charge on individual particle surfaces. Targeted reduction of charge nonuniformity opens new opportunities for the dispersion of nanoparticles and the oriented assembly of particles.

Biophysical Analysis of Specific Genomic Loci Assembled as Chromatin In Vivo

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the recently adapted technique of agarose multigel electrophoresis (AME) for analysis of the higher-order nucleoprotein structure of specific genomic loci that have been isolated as native chromatin in unfractionated low-salt nuclear extracts. It also describes how AME can be used as a biophysical method for characterizing specific in vivo –assembled chromatin fragments. The general concepts presented in this chapter are based on the recent studies of genomic murine mammary tumor virus (MMTV) promoters. This approach yields analytical measurements of average macromolecular radii and surface charge density that in turn allows one to evaluate the condensation behavior and conformational flexibility of the chromatin fragment being studied. AME is an easily accessible method that is performed with the commercially available electrophoresis apparatus. In an AME experiment, the sample of interest is first spiked with the spherical bacteriophage T3. The only aspect of the AME approach that is not general is obtaining the specific genomic chromatin fragment of interest in a low-salt nuclear extract. As with any newly introduced technical approach, the ability to accurately interpret AME data have capability to increase in direct proportion to the number of systems that are characterized by this method in the future.

Adaptation of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis for the improved fractionation of spheres

During gel electrophoresis, proteins are fractionated by both size (radius, R, for a sphere) and average electrical surface charge density. The fractionation by size depends entirely on nonspecific steric and hydrodynamic effects (sieving) of the fibrous network that forms the gel. Previous studies have demonstrated the following aspects of sieving: (1) as a function of the radius of the effective pore of a gel ( P E), electrophoretic mobility decreases in magnitude by a factor that has the form 1− a 1( R/ P E )+ a 2( R/ P E ) n ; a 1 and a 2 are constants; a 1 is always positive; a 2 is usually positive. (2) For a nonspherical particle not preferentially oriented in the gel, the effective R is best approximated by the R of a sphere that has a surface area equal to that of the nonspherical particle. For spheres, resolution by R is progressively increased by lowering P E, but maintaining P E> R; this approach, however, progressively increases the time of electrophoresis. To improve fractionation of both proteins and multimolecular protein complexes, a ratcheting-based procedure of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis is introduced here for spherical particles. Successfully tested here with latex spheres 95–235 nm in R, this procedure bypasses limitations of conventional sieving-based separations. Even though all spheres are negatively charged, larger spheres can be made to migrate in a direction opposite to the direction in which smaller spheres migrate.