Diffusiophoresis of a nonuniformly charged sphere in an electrolyte solution

The diffusiophoresis of a rigid, nonuniformly charged spherical particle in an electrolyte solution is analyzed theoretically focusing on the influences of the thickness of double layer, the surface charge distribution, the effect of electrophoresis, and the effect of double-layer polarization. We show that the nonuniform charge distribution on the particle surface yields complicated effect of double-layer polarization, leading to interesting diffusiophoretic behaviors. For example, if the sign of the middle part of the particle is different from that of its left-and right-hand parts, then depending upon the charge density and the fraction of the middle part, the particle can move either to the high-concentration side or to the low-concentration side. Both the diffusiophoretic velocity and its direction can be manipulated by the distribution of the surface charge density. In particular, if the electrophoresis effect is significant, then those properties are governed by the averaged surface charge density of the particle. A dipolelike particle, where its left-(right-) hand half is negatively (positively) charged, always migrates toward the low-concentration (left-hand) side, that is, it has a negative diffusiophoretic velocity. In addition, that diffusiophoretic velocity has a negative local minimum as the thickness of double layer varies. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3548654]