Nonlocal Poisson-Fermi double-layer models: Effects of nonuniform ion sizes on double-layer structure.

Abstract

This paper reports a nonuniform ionic size nonlocal Poisson-Fermi double-layer model (nuNPF) and a uniform ionic size nonlocal Poisson-Fermi double-layer model (uNPF) for an electrolyte mixture of multiple ionic species, variable voltages on electrodes, and variable induced charges on boundary segments. The finite element solvers of nuNPF and uNPF are developed and applied to typical double-layer tests defined on a rectangular box, a hollow sphere, and a hollow rectangle with a charged post. Numerical results show that nuNPF can significantly improve the quality of the ionic concentrations and electric fields generated from uNPF, implying that the effect of nonuniform ion sizes is a key consideration in modeling the double-layer structure.