Fluid flow induced by nonuniform ac electric fields in electrolytes on microelectrodes. II. A linear double-layer analysis

Frequency-dependent fluid flow in electrolytes on microelectrodes subjected to ac voltages has recently been reported. The fluid flow is predominant at frequencies of the order of the relaxation frequency of the electrode-electrolyte system. The mechanism responsible for this motion has been termed ac electro-osmosis: a continuous flow driven by the interaction of the oscillating electric field and the charge at the diffuse double layer on the electrodes. This paper develops the basis of a theoretical approach to this problem using a linear double layer analysis. The theoretical results are compared with the experiments, and a good correlation is found.