Range of potential and electrolyte concentration for increase in electroosmotic flow contribution with channel diameter/width in nanochannels

The variation of electroosmotic flow (EOF) contribution to total current with applied potential and electrolyte concentration has been investigated for different values of nanochannel diameter/width. The EOF contribution generally decreases with channel diameter/width and becomes negligible for wide channels. However, there is a range of applied potential and electrolyte concentrations in which EOF contribution increases with channel diameter/width. The nanochannel depletion with applied potential across the nanochannel leads to decrease in the ion drift current as well as EOF current, however, decrease in former is higher than the decrease in latter for a range of applied potential and electrolyte concentration, hence, the EOF contribution increases with channel diameter/width for a specific range of applied potential and electrolyte concentration. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.