321ap The Influence of Ion Polarizability on the Electric Double Layer

Marius M. Hatlo and Leo Lue. Chemical Engineering, University of Manchester, PO Box 88, Sackville Street, Manchester, M 60 1QD, United Kingdom

A change in the ion type in a system containing electrolyte can have profound influence in biological systems, where changing ion type can dramatically alter the structure or function of a protein. Although such specific ion effects are known to play an important role in nearly all biological and colloidal systems, our understanding of this phenomenon is still incomplete. Recent treatment have attempted to account for specific ion effects by including excluded volume or dispersion interactions between ions, however, they have not been able to fully explain these effects. An important mechanism that is still missing in the present treatments is the role of ion polarization (i.e., induction interactions). We investigate the influence of ion polarizability on the Poisson-Boltzman equation, and present a modification to the PB equation to take into account induction interactions. By use of this modified PB theory, we study its influence on the double layer force and electrolyte profiles between two plates immersed in a salt solution.