Particless in Gradients: Combining Diffusiophoresis and Diffusio-osmosis

The aim of this work was to obtain a fundamental understanding of the behavior of diffusiophoresis and diffusio-osmosis in different environments. This knowledge contributes to a fundamental understanding of the concepts of diffusiophoresis and diffusio-osmosis, and may translate to new applications or explain certain events for further studies. Here, we highlight the research carried out in each chapter and discuss the findings.
Chapter 1 presents the basics of diffusiophoresis and diffusio-osmosis in non-electrolyte and electrolyte solutes and the analytical equations that describe the motion. The chapter also presents a broader perspective of polymers, polyelectrolytes, and ion exchange particles. Chapter 2 focuses on the process of diffusiophoresis and diffusio-osmosis in electrolyte-loaded dead-end channels and the change in the electrokinetic parameter, the zeta potential, analyzed in the system. Chapter 3 demonstrates that the concentration dependence of the zeta potential of the particle can be reduced by polyelectrolyte coating. Chapter 4 extends the diffusiophoretic behavior in gradients of excluded molecules such as neutral polymers, polyelectrolytes, and nanoparticles. Chapter 5 focuses on the behaviour of ion exchange particles in salt concentration gradients in the dead-end channel setup. Finally, Chapter 6 provides an overview of all the chapters. It also gives further recommendations on diffusiophoresis in general and highlights possible research directions, guided by the results presented in this thesis.