Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mphil-in-micro-and-nanotechnology-enterprise-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2018/paper-2/section-a-iii/16/iv/solution
Past exam of the MPhil in micro- and nanotechnology enterprise course of the University of Cambridge 2018 Paper 2 Section A(iii) 16 iv Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-20
For large positive dimensionless surface potential , use the nonlinear Boltzmann distribution rather than their linear expansion:The counterions become strongly enriched near the wall and co-ions strongly depleted. A planar mean-field solution isIt approaches the linear screening form far from the wall. Nonlinearity preserves positive densities and produces a much stronger near-wall asymmetry; an extrapolated linear co-ion profile could incorrectly become negative. The total local ion density is , no longer constant.
The original figure compares weak- and strong-potential profiles. At very large local concentrations, finite ion size, specific adsorption and ion correlations limit this ideal point-ion mean-field model; it does not predict unlimited physically realizable counterion packing.
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