Electro-Osmosis of Polymer Solutions

This thesis focuses on the theoretical description of electro-osmosis of polymer solutions. In particular, it emphasizes the importance of considering non-uniform profiles of the solution viscosity and polymer concentration near a solid surface.

The thesis begins with an introduction to fundamental theories and experimental observations for beginners in this field, concerning electrolyte solutions, electric double layers, and electrokinetics. In Chapter 2, the author discusses the linear response of electro-osmotic flow with respect to applied electric fields in aqueous polyelectrolyte solutions, and predicts a possibility of flow reversal caused by oppositely charged polyelectrolytes adsorbed on a charged surface. In Chapter 3, the author extends the discussion to non-linear electro-osmotic flow driven by applied electric fields in neutral polymer solutions. The dynamics of polymers are modeled and simulated using Brownian dynamics and kinetic theory. Finally, the thesis is summarized in Chapter 4.

The introduction provides a comprehensive review of electrokinetics for graduate students and researchers interested in soft matter physics. An additional attraction is that readers can effectively learn various theoretical approaches to electro-osmosis.

Autorentext

Yuki Uematsu is currently a research fellow of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) in the Department of Chemistry, Kyushu University. His work is concerned with the theory of soft matter and chemical physics, and he is particularly interested in electrokinetics in aqueous electrolytes.

Yuki Uematsu received a B.S. in physics from Kyoto University in 2011. Thereafter he joined the group led by Professor Takeaki Araki in the Department of Physics, Kyoto University, receiving both an M.S. and a Ph.D. in physics from Kyoto University. During his doctoral course, he was awarded a research fellowship for Young Scientists by JSPS.

Inhalt
Introduction.- Linear Electro-Osmosis of Charged and Uncharged Polymer Solutions.- Nonlinear Electro-Osmosis of Uncharged Polymer Solutions.- Summary and Remarks.