  Enhancing solute dispersion in electrically actuated flows has always been a
challenging proposition, as attributed to the inherent uniformity of the flow
field in absence of surface patterns. Over the years, researchers have focused
their attention towards circumventing this limitation, by employing several
fluidic and geometric modulations. However, the corresponding improvements in
solute dispersion often turn out to be inconsequential. Here we unveil that by
exploiting the interplay between an externally imposed temperature gradient,
subsequent electrical charge redistribution and ionic motion, coupled with the
rheological complexities of the fluid, one can achieve up to one order of
magnitude enhancement of solute dispersion in a pressure-driven flow of an
electrolyte solution. Our results demonstrate that the complex coupling between
thermal, electrical, hydro-dynamic and rheological parameters over small
scales, responsible for such exclusive phenomenon, can be utilitarian in
designing novel thermally-actuated micro and bio-microfluidic devices with
favorable solute separation and dispersion characteristics.
