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Water liquid-vapor interface subjected to various electric fields: A molecular dynamics study
Mohammadreza Nikzad1, Ahmad Reza Azimian1, Majid Rezaei2
1Department of Mechanical Engineering, Khomeinishahr Branch, Islamic Azad University, 84181-48499 Khomeinishahr/Isfahan, Iran.
The Journal of Chemical Physics
|December 3, 2017
Summary
Electric fields significantly alter water
Area of Science:
- Physical Chemistry
- Surface Science
- Computational Physics
Background:
- Understanding electric field effects on liquid-vapor interfaces is crucial for phenomena like floating water bridges.
- Wetting phenomena are also influenced by interfacial properties under electric fields.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of parallel and perpendicular electric fields on the water liquid-vapor interface.
- To analyze changes in interface structure, hydrogen bonding, molecular orientation, and surface tension.
Main Methods:
- Molecular dynamics simulations were employed.
- Analysis included density distribution, hydrogen bond counts, molecular orientation, and surface tension calculations.
Main Results:
- Parallel electric fields decreased interface width and hydrogen bonds; perpendicular fields increased them.
- Perpendicular fields disrupted water structure and failed to reorient molecules, unlike parallel fields.
- Surface tension increased with parallel fields and decreased with perpendicular fields.
Conclusions:
- The study elucidates how electric fields influence water's liquid-vapor interface properties.
- Findings explain the formation of floating water bridges and highlight the non-uniformity of surface tension under electric fields.
- Accurate interfacial tension calculations, especially near triple lines, are essential in the presence of electric fields.
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