Micro-computed-tomography-guided multiphysics simulation: insights into enclosed microelectrochemical flow cells
4 affiliations
- 1Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
- 2University of Arkansas
- 3Montclair State University
- 4Sokol Institute for Pharmaceutical Life Sciences
Abstract
Quantitative interpretation of hydrodynamic electrochemical measurements commonly relies on analytical models that assume idealized device geometries. However, verifying the internal geometry of fully enclosed, single-step-3D-printed electrochemical flow cells is challenging because the devices cannot be taken apart without being destroyed. Herein, X-ray micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) is used to non-destructively characterize 3D channel architectures with sub-10 µm voxel resolution. The 3D-printed channels deviate substantially from the as-designed rectangular geometry, showing corrugated sloping sidewalls and a sagging, undulating ceiling. Yet, employing true (micro-CT-generated) geometries in three-dimensional multiphysics models of fluid flow and mass transport yielded currents in agreement with the channel flow electrode limiting current equation (based on flux equations formalized by Levich) for rectangular channels! This agreement and analysis of transport demonstrate that sidewall corrugation/slope and ceiling sag/undulation do not account for experimental deviations from ideal hydrodynamic behavior. Yet both the simulated and theory results deviate by 30-40% from experimental voltammetry, indicating a discrepancy that geometric non-idealities do not explain. Together, this suggests the disagreement between theory and experiment arises from incomplete consumption of the redox probe at the electrode surface, a condition consistent with the 3D-printed composite electrodes being partially blocked. More broadly, the work establishes the combination of micro-CT, multiphysics simulation, and experiment as a general, non-destructive framework for characterizing complex hydrodynamic electrochemical systems.
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BibTeX
@misc{mahmoudi2026microcomputedtomographyguided,
title = {{Micro-computed-tomography-guided multiphysics simulation: insights into enclosed microelectrochemical flow cells}},
author = {Mostafa Mahmoudi and Cameron Darvish and Edgar M. Manriquez and Glen D. O’Neil and Martin Andrew Edwards},
howpublished = {ChemRxiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.26434/chemrxiv.15009425/v1},
url = {https://chemrxiv.org/doi/full/10.26434/chemrxiv.15009425/v1},
note = {CC BY-NC},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Micro-computed-tomography-guided multiphysics simulation: insights into enclosed microelectrochemical flow cells
AU - Mostafa Mahmoudi
AU - Cameron Darvish
AU - Edgar M. Manriquez
AU - Glen D. O’Neil
AU - Martin Andrew Edwards
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/24
PB - ChemRxiv
DO - 10.26434/chemrxiv.15009425/v1
UR - https://chemrxiv.org/doi/full/10.26434/chemrxiv.15009425/v1
AB - Quantitative interpretation of hydrodynamic electrochemical measurements commonly relies on analytical models that assume idealized device geometries. However, verifying the internal geometry of fully enclosed, single-step-3D-printed electrochemical flow cells is challenging because the devices cannot be taken apart without being destroyed. Herein, X-ray micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) is used to non-destructively characterize 3D channel architectures with sub-10 µm voxel resolution. The 3D-printed channels deviate substantially from the as-designed rectangular geometry, showing corrugated sloping sidewalls and a sagging, undulating ceiling. Yet, employing true (micro-CT-generated) geometries in three-dimensional multiphysics models of fluid flow and mass transport yielded currents in agreement with the channel flow electrode limiting current equation (based on flux equations formalized by Levich) for rectangular channels! This agreement and analysis of transport demonstrate that sidewall corrugation/slope and ceiling sag/undulation do not account for experimental deviations from ideal hydrodynamic behavior. Yet both the simulated and theory results deviate by 30-40% from experimental voltammetry, indicating a discrepancy that geometric non-idealities do not explain. Together, this suggests the disagreement between theory and experiment arises from incomplete consumption of the redox probe at the electrode surface, a condition consistent with the 3D-printed composite electrodes being partially blocked. More broadly, the work establishes the combination of micro-CT, multiphysics simulation, and experiment as a general, non-destructive framework for characterizing complex hydrodynamic electrochemical systems.
ER -