Diffuse-charge dynamics across a capacitive interface in a DC electric field
Abstract
Cells and cellular organelles are encapsulated by nanometrically thin membranes whose main component is a lipid bilayer. In the presence of electric fields, the ion-impermeable lipid bilayer acts as a capacitor and supports a potential difference across the membrane. We analyze the charging dynamics of a planar membrane separating bulk solutions with different electrolyte concentrations upon the application of an applied uniform DC electric field. The membrane is modeled as a zero-thickness capacitive interface. The evolution of the electric potential and ions distributions in the bulk are solved for using the Poisson-Nernst-Planck (PNP) equations. Asymptotic solutions are derived in the limit of thin Debye layers and weak fields (compared to the thermal electric potential).
Cite
@article{arxiv.2502.11319,
title = {Diffuse-charge dynamics across a capacitive interface in a DC electric field},
author = {Shuozhen Zhao and Bhavya Balu and Zongxin Yu and Michael J. Miksis and Petia M. Vlahovska},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2502.11319},
year = {2025}
}