Giant amplification of interfacially driven transport by hydrodynamic slip: diffusio-osmosis and beyond

TL;DR

This paper shows that small hydrodynamic slip at interfaces can greatly amplify interfacially driven transport phenomena, with potential applications in nano- and micro-fluidic systems.

Contribution

It provides analytical and numerical analysis demonstrating that nanometer-scale slip lengths can enhance diffusio-osmotic flows by up to two orders of magnitude.

Findings

Hydrodynamic slip significantly boosts diffusio-osmotic transport.

Flow enhancement can be achieved in nano- and micro-fluidic devices.

Potential for rapid particle transport under applied or self-generated gradients.

Abstract

We demonstrate that "moderate" departures from the no-slip hydrodynamic boundary condition (hydrodynamic slip lengths in the nanometer range) can result in a very large enhancement - up to two orders of magnitude- of most interfacially driven transport phenomena. We study analytically and numerically the case of neutral solute diffusio-osmosis in a slab geometry to account for non-trivial couplings between interfacial structure and hydrodynamic slip. Possible outcomes are fast transport of particles in externally applied or self-generated gradient, and flow enhancement in nano- or micro-fluidic geometries.