Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
Module 3: Lecture 3
1/18
Module 3: Lecture 3
Table of Contents
Section/Subsection
3.3.1 Modern theory of electrostatic double layer
Page No.
3
513
10
13
Exercise
17
Suggested reading
18
2/18
Module 3: Lecture 3
3/18
Module 3: Lecture 3
The various parts of the electrostatic double layer have been shown in the figure.
The double layer very near to the interface is divided into two parts: the Stern
layer and the GouyChapman diffuse layer. The compact layer of adsorbed ions
is known as Stern layer in honor of Otto Stern (1924), who proposed the
existence of this layer. This layer has a very small thickness (say, 1 nm).
The counterions specifically adsorb on the interface in the inner part of the Stern
layer, which is known as inner Helmholtz plane (IHP). The potential drop in this
layer is quite sharp, and it depends on the occupancy of the ions.
The outer Helmholtz plane (OHP) is located on the plane of the centers of the
next layer of non-specifically adsorbed ions. These two parts of the Stern layer
are named so because the Helmholtz condenser model was used as a first
approximation of the double layer very close to the interface.
The diffuse layer begins at the OHP. The potential drop in each of the two layers
is assumed to be linear. The dielectric constant of water inside the Stern layer is
believed to be much lower (e.g., one-tenth) than its value in the bulk. The value is
lowest near the IHP.
The diffuse part of the electrostatic double layer is known as GouyChapman
layer. The thickness of the diffuse layer is termed Debye length (represented by
1 ). This length indicates the distance from the OHP into the solution up to the
point where the effect of the surface is felt by the ions. is known as
DebyeHckel parameter.
The Debye length is highly influenced by the concentration of electrolyte in the
solution. The extent of the double layer decreases with increase in electrolyte
concentration due to the shielding of charge at the solidsolution interface. The
ions of higher valence are more effective in screening the charge. We will discuss
the Debye length in detail later.
When a liquid moves past a solid surface, the relative velocity between the liquid
and the surface is zero at the surface. At some distance from the surface, the
relative motion sets in between the immobilized layer and the fluid. This
boundary is known as the surface of shear. The Stern layer is quite immobile. The
4/18
Module 3: Lecture 3
surface of shear may not coincide with the boundary of the Stern layer, but it may
be located somewhat farther.
The location of the surface of shear can be estimated from the knowledge about
the adsorption from solution and the Stern layer. Therefore, it can be concluded
that the surface of shear is located inside the double layer at a distance
approximately equal to the thickness of the Stern layer from the surface.
Let us express the variation of potential with distance from the OHP (i.e.,
x d ) by the Poisson equation,
(3.3.1)
where is the charge density in the system (in the unit of C/m3), is the
dielectric constant of the medium and 0 is the permittivity of the free space.
Note that is constant in the diffuse layer but it varies significantly with position
inside the Stern layer.
5/18
d 2
dx
Module 3: Lecture 3
(3.3.2)
Outside the OHP, there will be an accumulation of the oppositely charged ions.
The work required to bring an ion from infinity to a position where the potential
is is zi e (where, zi is the valence of ith the ion). The ion concentration near
the OHP is given by the Boltzmann distribution,
z e
ni ni exp i
kT
(3.3.3)
where ni is the number of ions of type i per unit volume near the interface, ni is
the number of ions of type i per unit volume in the bulk solution, and e is the
electronic charge.
The charge density can be related to the concentration of ions ni as,
zi e
kT
(3.3.4)
z e
zi ni exp i
0 i
kT
e
(3.3.5)
cases. Let us expand the exponential term in Eq. (3.3.5) in Maclaurin series, i.e.,
2
zi e
z e kT
z e
exp i 1 i
kT
2!
kT
(3.3.6)
zi e
1 , the simplification is known as
kT
DebyeHckel approximation.
6/18
Module 3: Lecture 3
Let us retain the first two terms of the series represented by Eq. (3.3.6) (the other
zi e
1 kT
(3.3.7)
zi eni 1
i
zi e
kT
(3.3.8)
zi eni 0
i
(3.3.9)
1
2 2
zi ni e
kT i
(3.3.10)
1
2 2
z n e
0 kT i i i
(3.3.11)
e2
2
z n
0 kT i i i
(3.3.12)
d 2
dx
(3.3.13)
The two boundary conditions for solving Eq. (3.3.13) are given below.
Condition 1: As x d , d
(3.3.14)
(3.3.15)
7/18
Module 3: Lecture 3
d exp x d
(3.3.16)
N e2
A zi2ci
0 kT i
1 2
(3.3.17)
N Ae 2
5.404 1015 m. Therefore, Eq. (3.3.17)
0 kT
1 2
(3.3.18)
Example 3.3.1: Calculate the Debye lengths in 10 mol/m3 aqueous solutions of NaCl,
For NaCl:
3
2
zi ci 1 10 1 10 20 mol/m
1 5.404 1015 20
For CaCl2:
3.04 109 m
3
2
zi ci 2 10 1 2 10 60 mol/m
1 5.404 1015 60
For AlCl3:
1 2
1 2
1.76 109 m
3
2
zi ci 3 10 1 3 10 120 mol/m
1 2
1.24 109 m
8/18
Module 3: Lecture 3
surface for 1:1, 2:1, 2:2 and 3:1 type of electrolytes at 10 mol/m3 concentration at 298 K
using the DebyeHckel equation.
Solution: The surface potential profiles are shown in Fig. 3.3 3.
9/18
Module 3: Lecture 3
2
d d 2
d d
z e
d e
zi ni exp i
2
2
dx dx
dx dx
dx 0 i
kT
(3.3.19)
ni exp
dx
kT
0 i
I ,
I constant
(3.3.20)
2kT
ni
(3.3.21)
2kT
d
dx
0
zi e
ni exp
kT
(3.3.22)
10/18
Module 3: Lecture 3
We can proceed to solve Eq. (3.3.22) further for the systems in which the
electrolyte is symmetric (i.e., z : z type, such as NaCl or MgSO4). In that case, we
have,
z e
ni exp i
kT
i
ze
1 n exp kT
ze
exp
kT
(3.3.23)
exp
0
dx
kT
ze
exp
kT
(3.3.24)
ze
ze
ze
ze
exp kT exp kT 2 exp 2kT exp 2kT
(3.3.25)
exp
0
dx
2kT
Let us substitute,
ze
exp
2kT
(3.3.26)
ze
p . Therefore, we have,
kT
d kT
dx
ze
dp
dx
2
2
2
d
kT dp
dx
ze dx
(3.3.27)
(3.3.28)
dx
0 kT
p
p
exp exp
2
2
12
dp 2 z 2e2 n
dx 0 kT
p
p
exp 2 exp 2
(3.3.29)
(3.3.30)
11/18
Module 3: Lecture 3
dp
p
p
exp exp
dx
2
2
(3.3.31)
(3.3.32)
(3.3.33)
ze
ln tanh
x I1 , I1 constant
4kT
(3.3.34)
is found to be,
ze d
I1 ln tanh
d
4kT
(3.3.35)
ze
tanh 4kT
x d
ln
tanh ze d
4kT
ze
tanh
4kT
ze d
tanh
4kT
exp x d
(3.3.36)
(3.3.37)
ze
exp 2kT
exp ze
2kT
ze d
1 exp 2kT
ze d
1 exp
2kT
1
exp x d
(3.3.38)
The derivation of Eq. (3.3.38) from Eq. (3.3.37) is left as an exercise for the
reader. This equation is known as the GouyChapman equation, which describes
the variation of potential in the diffuse part of the electrostatic double layer with
distance starting from the Stern layer.
12/18
Module 3: Lecture 3
1.
When the potential is small, it can be easily shown that the DebyeHckel
equation given by Eq. (3.3.16) is obtained.
At a distance far away from the interface where the potential is low,
ze ze
. The potential in that case can be calculated from the
tanh
4kT 4kT
equation,
ze d
4kT
tanh
exp x d
ze
4kT
(3.3.39)
d 2
d
d
d
dx 0
0
2
dx d
d dx
dx dx d
d dx 0
d
where
(3.3.40)
d
is the potential gradient at the interface. The potential gradient is
dx d
zero as x .
From Eq. (3.3.26) we get,
Joint Initiative of IITs and IISc Funded by MHRD
13/18
2kTn
d
dx d 0
12
ze d
exp 2kT
Module 3: Lecture 3
ze d
exp 2kT
(3.3.41)
d 0
12
d
ze d
2kT 0 n
exp
dx d
2kT
ze d
exp 2kT
(3.3.42)
d 8kT 0 n
12
ze d
sinh
2kT
(3.3.43)
d 8RT 0c
12
ze d
sinh
2kT
(3.3.44)
potential at 298 K in 1 mol/m3 and 10 mol/m3 aqueous NaCl solutions using the Grahame
equation.
Solution: Rearranging Eq. (3.3.44), the surface potential can be calculated from the
equation,
2kT
d
ze
1
,
sinh
1
2
8 RT 0c
z 1 for NaCl
0.0514 V
e
1.602 1019
Therefore,
For c 1 mol/m3:
8RT 0c
12
0.1
12
12
0.1
3.712 103
26.94
14/18
Module 3: Lecture 3
d
sinh 1
sinh 1 26.94 3.987
12
8 RT 0c
Therefore,
For c 10 mol/m3:
8RT 0c
12
0.1
12
sinh
Therefore,
0.1
8.55
0.0117
8RT 0c
The results from Example 3.3.3 illustrate how the potential of a charged surface
Eq. (3.3.44). The surface charge density is reduced very effectively by the
binding of counterions on the surface groups. This strongly reduces the surface
potential.
When a surface contains sites where both anions and cations can bind (i.e.,
amphoteric surfaces such as the protein surfaces), the charge density can be
negative or positive depending on the type of electrolytes in the solution and their
concentration. The condition where the mean surface charge density is zero is
termed the isoelectric point.
Sometimes counterion-binding leads to the reversal of charge of the surface.
15/18
Module 3: Lecture 3
Fig. 3.3.4 The profiles of the coions and the counterions near a charged surface.
The concentration of the counterions is high near the surface whereas the
concentration of the coions is less, as expected. These profiles show how the
concentrations of the ions reach their bulk values.
A comparison of the prediction by Grahame equation with experimental data has
been presented by Ghosh (2009) for the surface potential of egg lecithindicetyl
phosphate in aqueous NaCl solution at 295 K.
16/18
Module 3: Lecture 3
Exercise
Exercise 3.3.1: Generate the potential profile (i.e., variation of with distance from the
surface) in a 1 mol/m3 NaCl solution at 298 K. The surface potential is 150 mV. Explain
your results.
Exercise 3.3.2: Calculate the Debye lengths in 1 mol/m3 and 10 mol/m3 aqueous
17/18
Module 3: Lecture 3
Suggested reading
Textbooks
P. C. Hiemenz and R. Rajagopalan, Principles of Colloid and Surface Chemistry,
Chapter 5.
R. J. Hunter, Foundations of Colloid Science, Oxford University Press, New
Chapter 4.
J. Lyklema, Fundamentals of Interface and Colloid Science, Vol. 2, Academic
(1924).
V. V. Kalinin and C. J. Radke, Colloids Surf., A, 114, 337 (1996).
18/18