Electroviscous effect on the streaming current in a pH-regulated nanochannel

Accurate and rapid estimation of the streaming current in nanochannels is crucial for the development of the nanofluidics based power generation apparatus. In this study, an analytical model is developed for the first time to examine the electroviscous effect on the streaming current/conductance in a pH-regulated nanochannel by considering practical effects of multiple ionic species, surface chemistry reactions, and the Stern layer. Predictions from the model are in good agreement with the experimental results of the streaming conductance in silica nanochannels available in the literature. The electroviscous effect could have a significant reduction of ca. 30% in the streaming conductance at medium pH and low salt concentration. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.