The mechanism of ionic self-phoresis
Abstract
We study critically the mechanism of ionic self-phoresis of a chemically active particle immersed in an electrolyte, i.e., the self-propulsion due to activity-induced gradients in the ionic distribution. The chemical activity of the particle is not only responsible for these gradients, but also contributes to the phoretic response. As a consequence, a mechanism of phoresis is unveiled which does not rely on the existence of a double layer at the surface of the particle. This disproves the frequently invoked paradigm that “self-phoresis is like usual phoresis but in a self-generated gradient”.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Micro and Nano Robotics
Electrostatics and Colloid Interactions
Diffusion Coefficients in Liquids
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Journal of Electrostatics
- Volume
- 140
- Pages
- 104240–104240
- Publication date
- 15 January 2026
- Language
- EN