Modeling the mechanisms driving ac electro-osmotic flow on planar microelectrodes

The authors introduce an electrical model of the electrode-electrolyte interface and use it to discuss the mechanisms responsible for the generation of ac electro-osmotic flows at the surface of planar electrodes. They propose that such flows are generated by two distinct mechanisms: nonuniform diffusion of ionic species from the bulk to the electrode surface and inhomogeneous electrochemical transfer across the electrode surface. They then proceed to explain experimental observations in two situations where one mechanism dominates over the other, in each case validating the inclusion of specific components in their model.