Abstract
In recent, transport of electrically charged micro/nanoparticles in electrolyte solution has been widely studied. Some difficulties in accurate control techniques, however, have to be solved. For deeper understanding of the transport mechanism, the motion of particles should be divided into electrophoresis, electroosmosis, and electrohydrodynamic (EHD) flows. In this study, we experimentally observe ion transport phenomena that modulate the behavior of microparticles. Especially, by using ion-exchange membranes, highly polarized electrolyte solutions are prepared to make clear the transition of electrokinetic and hydrodynamic phenomena. In such a solution, cations, which highly concentrate around negatively charged microparticles, drag solvent molecules and drive liquid flows under externally applied electric fields. As a result, observed motions of charged particles gradually change from electrophoretic transport to EHD flows.
