Skip to main content

Phoretic Motions of Liquid Droplets

A Theoretical Analysis

  • 1st Edition - October 1, 2026
  • Latest edition
  • Author: Eric Lee
  • Language: English

Phoretic Motions of Liquid Droplets: A Theoretical Analysis provides a detailed description of the fundamentals of the electrostatics and electrokinetics of various kinds of drople… Read more

World Book Day celebration

Where learning shapes lives

Up to 25% off trusted resources that support research, study, and discovery.

Description

Phoretic Motions of Liquid Droplets: A Theoretical Analysis provides a detailed description of the fundamentals of the electrostatics and electrokinetics of various kinds of droplets: dielectric droplets, conducting droplets such as liquid metal droplets, polymeric liquid droplets and the implications they have for their broad practical applications. It is crucial to fully understand the underlying electrokinetic mechanisms before any meaningful practical applications of liquid droplets can be launched successfully.

This is the first book to directly address phoretic motion of droplets; previously there has only been brief mention in texts mostly about solid particles, on which there is much more literature. Droplets of different kinds have different applications in practice. For instance, conducting droplets like liquid metal droplets have an inherent advantage in drug delivery over liposomes of dielectric droplets in terms of chemiphoresis, although both are widely used in drug delivery and micro/nanofluidic operations, among other practical applications. The book provides insights and guidelines for design engineers in drug delivery even in the fabrication stage of the droplets carrying therapeutic chemicals. Moreover, it is helpful in analyzing data for experimental researchers as well. For instance, a droplet filled with dielectric materials may not behave electrokinetically like a dielectric droplet under certain circumstances in practice, as might be expected by experimentalists.

Phoretic Motions of Liquid Droplets is written for researchers, industry engineers, and graduate and postdoc students in the field of colloidal and interface science and technology who are working on colloidal physics aspects and focused on electrokinetics, primarily from a chemical engineering, biomedical and biochemical engineering background.

Key features

  • Provides comprehensive electrokinetic insights into the behaviors of various kind of droplets conducting phoretic motions and explains clearly why they behave like that
  • Includes detailed demonstration of the corresponding flow fields, including the appearance of surrounding vortex flows and critical points where solidification phenomenon happens; and the implications they have in the droplet phoretic motions and corresponding applications
  • Features extensive mobility charts for various types of droplets with varying surface charge conditions under various electrostatic environments, providing the key information needed in any practical applications involving droplet phoretic motions, as well as interpretations and analyses of experimental data

Readership

Phoretic Motions of Liquid Droplets is written for researchers, industry engineers, and graduate and postdoc students in the field of colloidal and interface science and technology who are working on colloidal physics aspects and focused on electrokinetics, primarily from a chemical engineering, biomedical and biochemical engineering background. It will also be of interest to those working in the adjacent areas of chemistry, biology, biotechnology, and pharmaceutical sciences.

Table of contents

Part I: Phoretic Motions of Dielectric Liquid Droplets
General background introduction:
Emulsions
Macroemulsion
Microemulsion
Nanoemulsion
Surfactants
Ouzo fluids
Core-shell droplets
Liposomes
Stem cells
Adsorption of ions
Surface charges and counterions
Double layer structure of ion clouds surrounding the droplets: Guoy-Chapman model
Inner compact layer (Stern layer)
Outer diffuse layer
Ions migration and the Boltzmann distribution
Volume effect of ions: The Bikerman distribution
Poisson equation
Gauss equation (Gauss divergence equation)
Definition of a fluid
Shear stress
Shear rate
Scalar form vs. general tensor form
Definition of viscosity
Newtonian fluids
Non-Newtonian fluids
Purely viscous fluids
Polymeric fluids
Viscoelastic phenomena
Momentum equation: Newton’s second law
Naiver-Stokes equation
Stokes equation
Continuum approach vs. statistic mechanics
Continuity equation
Nernst-Planck equation
Ions conservation equation
Creeping flow regime
Pseudo-steady state
Brownian motion
Electrophoresis
Capillary electrophoresis (CE)
Capillary gel-electrophoresis
Microfluidic operations
Nanofluidic operations
Lab-on –a-chip device
Diffusiophoresis
Diffusion potential
Chemiphoresis
Mobile droplet surface
Spinning motions on the droplet surface
Recirculation flows within the dropelt
Hydrodynamic stress
Electric Maxwell stress
Maxwell traction
Physical origin of the Maxwell stress
Surface tension
Marangoni effect
Shape-keeping issue:
Electric Weber number
Hydrodynamic Weber number
Electrokinetics in general
Constant surface potential
Constant surface charge density
Charge-regulation
Electrolyte strength
Debye length
Double layer thickness
Boundary hindrance effect
Double layer overlapping effect
Cell model: A special kind of symmetry
Virtual surface
Conceptual spherical cell


1: Electrophoresis of a single dielectric Newtonian droplet

1.1 Introduction

1.1.1 Characteristics of a Newtonian dielectric droplet

1.1.2 Mobile droplet surface

1.1.3 Electric Maxwell stress

1.1.4 Practical Applications in drug delivery and so on

1.2 Weakly charged dielectric droplet Analytical solution under Debye-Huckel solution

1.3 Highly charged dielectric droplet

1.3.1 Spinning motions on the droplet surface

1.3.2 Solidification phenomenon

1.3.3 Exterior vortex flow surrounding the dielectric droplet

1.4 How to figure out the correct droplet zeta potential by using the corresponding charts provided in Appendix I

1.4.1 Why do most of the experimental data of highly charged droplets incorrect and misleading at best: The missing of the critical link in experimental measurements and the need for suitable theoretical predictions: A review of theoretical formulas available and their range of applicability

1.4.2 Review of the classic paper addressing this issue for experimentalists

1.4.3 The unreliability of commercial apparatus measuring zeta potentials

1.5 Review of key papers and classic books in this topic with comments and comparisons made whenever possible

1.6 Review of current applications

1.6.1 Microfluidic operations

1.6.2 Capillary electrophoresis (CE and CGE)

1.6.3 Soil cleaning

1.6.4 Waste water treatment

1.6.5 Environmental protection devices

1.6.6 Other potential applications

1.7 Implications of this chapter on these applications


2: Electrophoresis in suspensions of dielectric Newtonian droplets

2.1 Spherical Cell model

2.2 Boundary conditions on the outer virtual surface

2.2.1 Kuwabara’s cell model

2.2.2 Levine-Neale cell model

2.3 Impact from the surrounding droplets

2.3.1 Hydrodynamic steric/hindrance effect

2.3.2 Electrostatic effect: Double layer overlapping

2.4 How to figure out the correct droplet zeta potential by using the corresponding charts provided in Appendix II

2.5 Review of key papers and classic books in this topic with comments and comparisons made whenever possible

2.6 Review of current applications

2.6.1 Capillary electrophoresis (CE and CGE)

2.6.2 Microfluidic operations

2.6.3 Soil cleaning

2.6.4 Waste water treatment

2.6.5 Environmental protection devices

2.6.6 Other potential applications

2.7 Implications of this chapter on these applications


3: Diffusiophoresis of a single Newtonian dielectric droplet induced solely by the concentration gradient: chemiphoresis component

3.1 Introduction

3.2 The origin of diffusiophoresis in general Double layer polarization as the motion-inducing mechanism

3.3 Chemiphoresis component vs. electrophoresis component Diffusion potential Electro-neutrality in the electrolyte solutions

3.4 Solidification phenomenon

3.5 Implications in drug delivery Self-guiding nature Liposomes

3.6 Implications in enhanced oil recovery (EOR)

3.7 How to figure out the correct droplet zeta potential by using the corresponding charts provided in Appendix III

3.8 Review of key papers and classic books in this topic with comments and comparisons made whenever possible

3.9 Review of other applications including microfluidic operations

3.10 Implications of this chapter on these applications


4: Diffusiophoresis in suspensions of Newtonian dielectric droplets induced solely by the concentration gradient: chemiphoresis component

4.1 Introduction

4.2 Boundary effect

4.2.1 double layer overlapping

4.2.2 hydrodynamic steric/hindrance effect

4.3 Solidification phenomenon

4.4 How to figure out the correct droplet zeta potential by using the corresponding charts provided in Appendix IV

4.5 Review of key papers and classic books in this topic with comments and comparisons made whenever possible

4.6 Review of other applications including microfluidic operations

4.7 Implications of this chapter on these applications


5: Diffusiophoresis of a single Newtonian dielectric droplet induced by diffusion potential: electrophoresis component

5.1 Introduction

5.3 Solidification phenomenon

5.4 Implications in drug delivery

5.5 Implications in enhanced oil recovery (EOR)

5.6 How to figure out the correct droplet zeta potential by using the corresponding charts provided in Appendix V

5.7 Review of key papers and classic books in this topic with comments and comparisons made whenever possible

5.8 Review of other applications including microfluidic operations, purification of water, and desalinization of sea water.

5.9 Implications of this chapter on these applications


6: Diffusiophoresis in suspensions of Newtonian dielectric droplets induced by diffusion potential: electrophoresis component

6.1 Introduction

6.2 Boundary effect

6.2.1 double layer overlapping6.2.2 hydrodynamic steric/hindrance effect

6.3 Solidification phenomenon

6.4 Implications in drug delivery

6.5 Implications in enhanced oil recovery (EOR)

6.6 How to figure out the correct droplet zeta potential by using the corresponding charts provided in Appendix VI

6.7 Review of key papers and classic books in this topic with comments and comparisons made whenever possible

6.9 Review of other applications including microfluidic operations, purification of water, and desalination of sea water

6.10 Implications of this chapter on these applications

Part II: Phoretic Motions of Conducting Liquid Droplets
General Introduction: Liquid metals and their alloys
Definition
Nanomedicines
Drug development
Gallium
Mercury drops
Self-guiding nature
Fluidic nature
Marangoni effect
Surface tension
Ideally polarizableConstant surface charge density


7: Electrophoresis of a single conducting droplet

7.1 Equal-potential droplet surface

7.2 Ideally polarizable treatment: constant surface charge density

7.3 Mobility charts under various electrokinetic environments

7.4 Solidification phenomenon

7.5 Comparison with a dielectric droplet

7.6 How to figure out the correct droplet zeta potential by using the corresponding charts provided in Appendix VII

7.7 Review of key papers or classic books in this topic with comments and comparisons made whenever possible

7.8 Applications in microfluidic operations

7.9 Review of other applications

7.10 Implications of this chapter on these applications


8: Electrophoresis in suspensions of conducting droplets

8.1 Introduction

8.2 Mobility charts under various electrokinetic environments

8.3 Solidification phenomenon

8.4 Comparison with dielectric droplets

8.4 How to figure out the correct droplet zeta potential by using the corresponding charts provided in Appendix VIII

8.5 Review of key papers or classic books in this topic with comments and comparisons made whenever possible

8.6 Applications in microfluidic operations

8.7 Review of other possible applications

8.8 Implications of this chapter on these applications


9: Diffusiophoresis of a single conducting droplet induced solely by the concentration gradient: chemiphoresis component

9.1 Introduction

9.2 Mobility charts under various electrokinetic environments

9.3 Solidification phenomenon

9.4 Comparison with a dielectric droplet

9.5 Applications in drug delivery

9.6 How to figure out the correct droplet zeta potential by using the corresponding charts provided in Appendix IX

9.7 Review of key papers or classic books in this topic with comments and comparisons made whenever possible

9.8 Review of other applications

9.9 Implications of this chapter on these applications


10: Diffusiophoresis in suspensions of conducting droplets induced solely by the solute concentration gradient: chemiphoresis component

10.1 Introduction

10.2 Mobility charts under various electrokinetic environments

10.3 Solidification phenomenon

10.4 Boundary effect

10.5.1 double layer overlapping

10.5.2 hydrodynamic steric/hindrance effect

10.5 Comparison with dielectric droplets

10.6 Applications in drug delivery

10.7 How to figure out the correct droplet zeta potential by using the corresponding charts provided in Appendix X

10.8 Review of key papers or classic books in this topic with comments and comparisons made whenever possible

10.9 Review of other applications

10.10 Implications of this chapter on these applications


11: Diffusiophoresis of a single conducting droplet induced by diffusion potential: electrophoresis component

11.1 Introduction

11.2 Mobility charts under various electrokinetic environments

11.3 Solidification phenomenon

11.4 Comparison with dielectric droplets

11.5 Applications in drug delivery

11.6 How to figure out the correct droplet zeta potential by using the corresponding charts provided in Appendix XI

11.7 Review of key papers or classic books in this topic with comments and comparisons made whenever possible

11.8 Review of other applications

11.9 Implications of this chapter on these applications


12: Diffusiophoresis in suspensions of conducting droplets induced by diffusion potential: electrophoresis component

12.1 Introduction

12.2 Mobility charts under various electrokinetic environments

12.3 Solidification phenomenon

12.4 Boundary effect

12.4.1 double layer overlapping

12.4.2 hydrodynamic steric/hindrance effect

12.5 Comparison with dielectric droplets

12.6 Applications in drug delivery

12.7 How to figure out the correct droplet zeta potential by using the corresponding charts provided in Appendix XII

12.8 Review of key papers or classic books in this topic with comments and comparisons made whenever possible

12.9 Review of other applications

12.10 Implications of this chapter on these applications

Part III: Phoretic Motions of Polymeric Liquid Droplets
General Introduction:
Rheology of polymeric fluid
Purely viscous fluids
Shear-thinning fluids
Shear-thickening fluids
Bingham fluids
Debye-Beuche-Brinkman (DBB) fluids
Characteristic polymeric phenomena
Viscoelastic Fluids
Oldroyd-A fluids
Oldr0yd-B fluids
Maxwell fluids
Other viscoelastic fluids
Characteristic polymeric phenomena
Polymeric fluid mechanics
Cauchy momentum equation
Constitutive equations Continuity equations


13: Electrophoresis of a single polymeric droplet

13.1 Introduction

13.2 Rheology impact on the droplet motion: Hydrodynamic effect

13.3 Mobility charts under various electrokinetic environments

13.4 Solidification phenomenon

13.5 Comparison with a dielectric droplet

13.6 Applications in microfluidic operations

13.7 How to figure out the correct droplet zeta potential by using the corresponding charts provided in Appendix XIII

13.8 Review of key papers or classic books in this topic with comments and comparisons made whenever possible

13.9 Review of other applications

13.10 Implications of this chapter on these applications


14: Electrophoresis in suspensions of polymeric droplets

14.1 Introduction

14.3 Mobility charts under various electrokinetic environments

14.3 Solidification phenomenon

14.4 Boundary effect

13.5.1 double layer overlapping

13.5.2 hydrodynamic steric/hindrance effect

14.5 Comparison with dielectric droplets

14.6 Applications in microfluidic operations

14.7 How to figure out the correct droplet zeta potential by using the corresponding charts provided in Appendix XIV

14.8 Review of key papers or classic books in this topic with comments and comparisons made whenever possible

14.9 Review of other applications

14.10 Implications of this chapter on these applications


15: Diffusiophoresis of a single polymeric droplet induced solely by the concentration gradient: chemiphoresis component

15.1 Introduction

15.2 Mobility charts under various electrokinetic environments

15.3 Solidification phenomenon

15.4 Comparison with a dielectric droplet

15.5 Applications in drug delivery

15.6 How to figure out the correct droplet zeta potential by using the corresponding charts provided in Appendix XV

15.7 Review of key papers or classic books in this topic with comments and comparisons made whenever possible

15.8 Review of other applications

15.9 Implications of this chapter on these applications


16: Diffusiophoresis in suspensions of polymeric droplets induced solely by the solute concentration gradient: chemiphoresis component

16.1 Introduction

16.2 Mobility charts under various electrokinetic environments

16.3 Solidification phenomenon

16.4 Boundary effect

16.4.1 double layer overlapping

16.4.2 hydrodynamic steric/hindrance effect

16.5 Comparison with dielectric droplets

16.7 How to figure out the correct droplet zeta potential by using the corresponding charts provided in Appendix XVI

16.8 Review of key papers or classic books in this topic with comments and comparisons made whenever possible

16.9 Review of other applications

16.10 Implications of this chapter on these applications


17: Diffusiophoresis of a single polymeric droplet induced by diffusion potential: electrophoresis component

17.1 Introduction

17.2 Mobility charts under various electrokinetic environments

17.3 Solidification phenomenon

17.4 Comparison with a dielectric droplet

17.5 Applications in drug delivery

17.6 How to figure out the correct droplet zeta potential by using the corresponding charts provided in Appendix XVII

17.7 Review of key papers or classic books in this topic with comments and comparisons made whenever possible

17.8 Review of other applications

17.9 Implications of this chapter on these applications


18: Diffusiophoresis in suspensions of polymeric droplets induced by diffusion potential: electrophoresis component

18.1 Introduction

18.2 Mobility charts under various electrokinetic environments

18.3 Solidification phenomenon

18.4 Boundary effect

18.4.1 double layer overlapping

18.4.2 hydrodynamic steric/hindrance effect

18.5 Comparison with dielectric droplets

18.6 Applications in drug delivery

18.7 How to figure out the correct droplet zeta potential by using the corresponding charts provided in Appendix XVIII

18.8 Review of key papers or classic books in this topic with comments and comparisons made whenever possible

18.9 Review of other applications

18.10 Implications of this chapter on these applications

Product details

  • Edition: 1
  • Latest edition
  • Published: October 1, 2026
  • Language: English

About the author

EL

Eric Lee

Eric Lee is a Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan. He obtained a PhD in Chemical Engineering in 1986 from the University of Washington, USA. His research areas include polymeric fluid mechanics and electrokinetic motions of colloidal particles. He investigates the fluid motion of liquid phase systems containing polymers, such as polymer solutions, polymer melts, and other non-Newtonian fluids. Further he investigates the general electrokinetic behavior of colloidal particles of sub-micron or nano-scale dimensions in either dilute or concentrated suspensions, focusing on the electrophoretic motion above all. The impact of air-water interface as well as particle migrations in gel or porous media has been of particular interest in recent years. In 2005 he received the National Taiwan University Fu Sinian Award. Eric Lee has published more than 70 articles in international scientific journals.
Affiliations and expertise
Chen Fang-can Chair Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan