Open AccessExploring the behaviour of water nanodroplet on a coplanar electrowetting‐on‐dielectric: a molecular dynamics approach
Author(s) -
Chan Hoi Kei,
Mak Pui In,
Siu Shirley W.I.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
micro and nano letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.25
H-Index - 31
ISSN - 1750-0443
DOI - 10.1049/mnl.2016.0824
Subject(s) - electrowetting , wetting , electric field , chemical physics , dielectric , contact angle , molecular dynamics , hydrogen bond , diffusion , electrode , molecule , chemistry , materials science , nanotechnology , optoelectronics , composite material , computational chemistry , thermodynamics , physics , organic chemistry , quantum mechanics
Molecular dynamics simulation has been used to investigate the behaviour of a water nanodroplet on a hydrophobic surface under an applied electric field. The model system mimics a typical electrowetting‐on‐dielectric experiment of an open‐plate coplanar electrodes system. Given the various strengths of the electrode‐induced field, variations in contact angle of the droplet, hydrogen bonding and diffusion coefficient of the water molecules are disclosed. Their main findings are: (i) nanodroplet displays asymmetric electrowetting in contact angle measurement; (ii) water molecules and the entire droplet are slightly positively biased; (iii) more water hydrogen bonds are maintained in the positive side, in both the first and the second hydration layer to the surface; and (iv) water diffusion is higher in parallel to the surface than the normal direction.