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Title: Molecular origins of the zeta potential

Abstract

The zeta potential (ZP) is an oft-reported measure of the macroscopic charge state of solid surfaces and colloidal particles in contact with solvents. However, the origin of this readily measurable parameter has remained divorced from the molecular-level processes governing the underlying electrokinetic phenomena, which limits its usefulness. Here, we connect the macroscopic measure to the microscopic realm through nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations of electroosmotic flow between parallel slabs of the hydroxylated (110) rutile (TiO2) surface. These simulations provided streaming mobilities, which were converted to ZP via the commonly used Helmholtz-Smoluchowski equation. A range of rutile surface charge densities (0.1 to –0.4 C/m2), corresponding to pH values between about 2.8 and 9.4, in RbCl, NaCl, and SrCl2 aqueous solutions, were modeled and compared to experimental ZPs for TiO2 particle suspensions. Simulated ZPs qualitatively agree with experiment and show that “anomalous” ZP values and inequalities between the point of zero charge derived from electrokinetic versus pH titration measurements both arise from differing co- and counterion sorption affinities. We show that at the molecular level the ZP arises from the delicate interplay of spatially varying dynamics, structure, and electrostatics in a narrow interfacial region within about 15 Å of the surface, even inmore » dilute salt solutions. This contrasts fundamentally with continuum descriptions of such interfaces, which predict the ZP response region to be inversely related to ionic strength. In reality the properties of this interfacial region are dominated by relatively immobile and structured water. Furthermore, viscosity values are substantially greater than in the bulk, and electrostatic potential profiles are oscillatory in nature.« less

Authors:
 [1];  [2];  [3]
  1. Univ. of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice (Czech Republic)
  2. Univ. of Illinois, Champaign, IL (United States)
  3. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
OSTI Identifier:
1333097
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC05-00OR22725
Resource Type:
Journal Article: Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Langmuir
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 32; Journal Issue: 40; Journal ID: ISSN 0743-7463
Publisher:
American Chemical Society
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY

Citation Formats

Predota, Milan, Machesky, Michael L., and Wesolowski, David J. Molecular origins of the zeta potential. United States: N. p., 2016. Web. doi:10.1021/acs.langmuir.6b02493.
Predota, Milan, Machesky, Michael L., & Wesolowski, David J. Molecular origins of the zeta potential. United States. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.langmuir.6b02493
Predota, Milan, Machesky, Michael L., and Wesolowski, David J. 2016. "Molecular origins of the zeta potential". United States. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.langmuir.6b02493. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1333097.
@article{osti_1333097,
title = {Molecular origins of the zeta potential},
author = {Predota, Milan and Machesky, Michael L. and Wesolowski, David J.},
abstractNote = {The zeta potential (ZP) is an oft-reported measure of the macroscopic charge state of solid surfaces and colloidal particles in contact with solvents. However, the origin of this readily measurable parameter has remained divorced from the molecular-level processes governing the underlying electrokinetic phenomena, which limits its usefulness. Here, we connect the macroscopic measure to the microscopic realm through nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations of electroosmotic flow between parallel slabs of the hydroxylated (110) rutile (TiO2) surface. These simulations provided streaming mobilities, which were converted to ZP via the commonly used Helmholtz-Smoluchowski equation. A range of rutile surface charge densities (0.1 to –0.4 C/m2), corresponding to pH values between about 2.8 and 9.4, in RbCl, NaCl, and SrCl2 aqueous solutions, were modeled and compared to experimental ZPs for TiO2 particle suspensions. Simulated ZPs qualitatively agree with experiment and show that “anomalous” ZP values and inequalities between the point of zero charge derived from electrokinetic versus pH titration measurements both arise from differing co- and counterion sorption affinities. We show that at the molecular level the ZP arises from the delicate interplay of spatially varying dynamics, structure, and electrostatics in a narrow interfacial region within about 15 Å of the surface, even in dilute salt solutions. This contrasts fundamentally with continuum descriptions of such interfaces, which predict the ZP response region to be inversely related to ionic strength. In reality the properties of this interfacial region are dominated by relatively immobile and structured water. Furthermore, viscosity values are substantially greater than in the bulk, and electrostatic potential profiles are oscillatory in nature.},
doi = {10.1021/acs.langmuir.6b02493},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1333097}, journal = {Langmuir},
issn = {0743-7463},
number = 40,
volume = 32,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Sep 19 00:00:00 EDT 2016},
month = {Mon Sep 19 00:00:00 EDT 2016}
}

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