arXiv subjects

Aboubakry Ly

Publications and source records attributed to Aboubakry Ly.

2 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2018

Nanoscale Seebeck effect at hot metal nanostructures

We theoretically study the electrolyte Seebeck effect in the vicinity of a heated metal nanostructure, such as the cap of an active Janus colloid in an electrolyte, or gold- coated interfaces in optofluidic devices. The thermocharge accumulated at the surface varies with the local temperature, thus modulating the diffuse part of the electric double layer. On a conducting surface with non-uniform temperature, the isopotential condition imposes a significant polarization charge within the metal. Surprisingly, this does not affect the slip velocity, which takes the same value on insulating and conducting surfaces. Our results for specific-ion effects agree qualitatively with recent observations for Janus colloids in different electrolyte solutions. Comparing the thermal, hydrodynamic, and ion diffusion time scales, we expect a rich transient behavior at the onset of thermally powered swimming, extending to microseconds after switching on the heating.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2017

Hydrodynamic interactions in DNA thermophoresis

We theoretically study the molecular-weight dependence of DNA thermophoresis, which arises from mutual advection of the n repeat units of the molecular chain. As a main result we find that the dominant driving forces, i.e., the thermally induced permittivity gradient and the electrolyte Seebeck effect, result in characteristic hydrodynamic screening. In comparison with recent experimental data on single-stranded DNA (2 $\le$ n $\le$ 80), our theory quantitatively describes the increase of the drift velocity up to n = 30; the slowing-down of longer molecules is well accounted for by a simple model for counterion condensation. It turns out that thermophoresis may change sign as a function of n: For an appropriate choice of the salt-specific Seebeck coefficient, short molecules move to the cold and long ones to the hot; this could be used for separating DNA by molecular weight.

cond-mat.soft↗