Generation of directional EOF by interactive oscillatory zeta potential

A steady directional EOF due to a nonlinear interaction between oscillatory axial electrical fields and oscillatory wall potentials (zeta potentials) is presented. This is a new mechanism to produce such a mean flow. It is found that the flow velocity depends not on the external driving frequency but on the phase angle difference between the electric fields and the zeta potentials. The formulation can also be reduced to the static EOF straightforwardly. For the purpose of theoretical demonstration, we use the Debye–Huckel approximation for the zeta potential. Results of planar and cylindrical capillaries are given.