Experimental investigation of inflow-outflow asymmetry in induced-charge electro-osmosis

Induced-charge electro-osmosis (ICEO) is a research hotspot in bioengineering and analytical chemistry. Inflow-outflow asymmetry of ICEO was reported in the existing literatures, but systematic study on this phenomenon is insufficient. In this experimental study, we found that in strong electric fields, not only the velocity magnitude but also the vortex positions of ICEO are asymmetrical along the inflow and outflow directions because of the pronounced non-uniform surface electrokinetic transport. On the inflow and outflow directions, the amplitudes of velocities are unequal, ICEO maximum velocity positions change depending on the electric field intensity and sodium chloride (NaCl) concentration. Additionally, the distances between vortex centers are different. At NaCl solution concentration of 0.001 mol·L^–1, the outflow velocity almost vanishes. The asymmetry rises with the increasing electric field intensity. The new discoveries can direct the application of microscale devices.