A simple approximation for the distribution of ions between charged plates in the weak coupling regime

Author(s)
Andrei Bazarenko, Marcello Sega
Abstract

The solution of the Poisson–Boltzmann equation for counterions confined between two charged plates is known analytically up to a constant, namely, the ion density in the middle of the channel. This quantity is relevant also because it gives access, through the contact theorem, to the osmotic pressure of the system. Here we compare the values of the ion density obtained by numerical and simulation approaches, and report a useful analytic approximation for the weak coupling regime in the absence of added salt, which predicts the value of the ion density in the worst case within 5%. The inclusion of higher order terms in a Laurent expansion can further improve the accuracy, at the expense of simplicity.

Organisation(s)
Computational and Soft Matter Physics
External organisation(s)
Forschungszentrum Jülich
Journal
Journal of Molecular Liquids
Volume
271
Pages
301-304
No. of pages
4
ISSN
0167-7322
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molliq.2018.08.148
Publication date
09-2018
Peer reviewed
Yes
Austrian Fields of Science 2012
103029 Statistical physics
Keywords
ASJC Scopus subject areas
Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials, Condensed Matter Physics, Materials Chemistry, Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics, Spectroscopy, Physical and Theoretical Chemistry
Portal url
https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/bd6f236e-b6af-4a59-9fba-ef6353ec3b7a