Strong Bipolar Electrokinetic Charging of Thin Liquid Jets Emerging from 10 μm PtIr Nozzles

Abstract

Abstract In a very thin liquid jet of pure water which flows with high speed into a vacuum chamber we observe unexpectedly large streaming currents and electrokinetic charging. This potential shift at the liquid surface is interfering with planned photoelectron spectroscopy. It is quantitatively studied as a function of the jet flow rate, the electric dissociation and the pH value of the fluid. The standard electrokinetic model and a nonequilibrium electrochemical diffusion current model are discussed for a semiquantitative explanation.