Phase separation between conductive and insulative materials induced by the electric field.

Abstract

To demonstrate that phase separation is a main mechanism of pattern formation for one of the spatiotemporal patterns emerging in the Ag and Sb electrodeposition system, I performed numerical simulations to model the mixed system of conductive and insulative materials under a steady electric field. For such a dissipative system, I derived the extended Cahn-Hilliard equation using Onsager's variational principle. My results demonstrate that conductive and insulative materials phase separate spatially under the constant-current mode.