Diffusiophoresis of a moderately charged spherical colloidal particle

Abstract

An analytic expression is obtained for the diffusiophoretic mobility of a charged spherical colloidal particle in a symmetrical electrolyte solution. The obtained expression, which is expressed in terms of exponential integrals, is correct to the third order of the particle zeta potential so that it is applicable for colloidal particles with low and moderate zeta potentials at arbitrary values of the electrical double-layer thickness. This is an improvement of the mobility formula derived by Keh and Wei, which is correct to the second order of the particle zeta potential. This correction, which is related to the electrophoresis component of diffusiophoresis, becomes more significant as the difference between the ionic drag coefficients of electrolyte cations and anions becomes larger and vanishes in the limit of thin or thick double layer. A simpler approximate mobility expression is further obtained that does not involve exponential integrals.

Keywords: diffusiophoresis; diffusiophoretic mobility; spherical colloidal particle; zeta potential.