Lattice Boltzmann Simulation of Electroosmotic Flows in Micro- and Nanochannels

A Lattice Boltzmann Model (LBM) with the Poisson-Boltzmann equation for charge distribution is presented for the simulation of electroosmotic transport in straight rectangular micro- and nanochannels. Effects of the channel height, electrolyte concentration, surface potential, electric double layer thickness and externally applied electric field on the velocity profile of 50 to 800 nm channels were studied by means of a LBM. Our results are in excellent agreement with the corresponding analytical solution and the Lattice Boltzmann Model can be used to simulate electrokinetic transport phenomena in microchannels in the presence of an externally applied electric field.