Approximate Analytical Expressions for the Electrical Potential between Two Planar, Cylindrical, and Spherical Surfaces

Approximate analytical expressions for the electrical potential of planar, cylindrical, and spherical surfaces are derived for the case in which the dispersion medium contains counterions only. On the basis of the results for single surfaces, those for two identical surfaces can be derived. The curvature effect of a surface on the electrical potential distribution can be neglected when the order of its radius exceeds approximately 100 times the thickness of the corresponding double layer. If this effect needs to be considered, it can be taken into account by multiplying a correction function by the electrical potential of a planar surface. The electrical potential at the center between two derived surfaces is readily applicable to the evaluation of the electrostatic force per unit area between two surfaces, or the osmotic pressure. For the same set of parameters, the magnitudes of the osmotic pressure for various types of surfaces rank as follows: planar surface > cylindrical surfaces > spherical surfaces.