Solvent-induced ion clusters generate long-ranged double-layer forces at high ionic strengths

Fuente: arXiv
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Autori principali: Ribar, David, Woodward, Clifford E., Forsman, Jan
Natura: Preprint
Pubblicazione: 2024
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author Ribar, David
Woodward, Clifford E.
Forsman, Jan
author_facet Ribar, David
Woodward, Clifford E.
Forsman, Jan
contents Recent experimental results by the Surface Force Apparatus (SFA) have identified a dramatic deviation from previously established theories of simple electrolytes. This deviation, referred to as anomalous underscreening, suggests that the range of electrostatic interactions increase upon a further addition of salt, beyond some threshold concentration (usually about 1M). In this theoretical work, we explore an extension of the Restricted Primitive Model (RPM) wherein a short-ranged pair potential of mean force (sPMF) is added to the usual Coulombic interactions so as to mimic changes of the hydration as two ions approach one another. The strength of this potential is adjusted so that the modified RPM saturates at a realistic concentration level (within a range 4-7M, typical to aqueous 1:1 salts). We utilise grand canonical simulations to establish surface forces predicted by the model and compare them directly with SFA data. We explore different sPMF models, which in all cases display significant clustering at concentrations above about 1M. In these models, we find significant double-layer repulsion at separations that significantly exceed those expected from standard RPM predictions. We do not, however, observe an increase of the screening length with salt concentration, but rather that this screening length seemingly saturates at a (rather high) value. The simulated long-ranged interactions are shown to correlate with ion cluster formation, implicating the important role of accompanying {\em cluster-cluster} interactions. In particular, steric interactions between clusters (manifested in density-density correlations) are quite relevant in these systems.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2408_17210
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Solvent-induced ion clusters generate long-ranged double-layer forces at high ionic strengths
Ribar, David
Woodward, Clifford E.
Forsman, Jan
Soft Condensed Matter
Statistical Mechanics
Recent experimental results by the Surface Force Apparatus (SFA) have identified a dramatic deviation from previously established theories of simple electrolytes. This deviation, referred to as anomalous underscreening, suggests that the range of electrostatic interactions increase upon a further addition of salt, beyond some threshold concentration (usually about 1M). In this theoretical work, we explore an extension of the Restricted Primitive Model (RPM) wherein a short-ranged pair potential of mean force (sPMF) is added to the usual Coulombic interactions so as to mimic changes of the hydration as two ions approach one another. The strength of this potential is adjusted so that the modified RPM saturates at a realistic concentration level (within a range 4-7M, typical to aqueous 1:1 salts). We utilise grand canonical simulations to establish surface forces predicted by the model and compare them directly with SFA data. We explore different sPMF models, which in all cases display significant clustering at concentrations above about 1M. In these models, we find significant double-layer repulsion at separations that significantly exceed those expected from standard RPM predictions. We do not, however, observe an increase of the screening length with salt concentration, but rather that this screening length seemingly saturates at a (rather high) value. The simulated long-ranged interactions are shown to correlate with ion cluster formation, implicating the important role of accompanying {\em cluster-cluster} interactions. In particular, steric interactions between clusters (manifested in density-density correlations) are quite relevant in these systems.
title Solvent-induced ion clusters generate long-ranged double-layer forces at high ionic strengths
topic Soft Condensed Matter
Statistical Mechanics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2408.17210