Control of water droplets on super-hydrophobic surfaces by static electric field

We investigated the control of water droplets on super-hydrophobic surfaces using a static electric field. The electric field required for droplet motion was decreased as the droplet size or the height from which the droplets were released increased. The Coulomb force of the electric charge provided to the water from the solid surface was the dominant driving force for the movement of the water droplet. In contrast, the contribution of dielectrophoretic force to the movement of the droplet was less than 10% that of the Coulomb force. The electric field required for droplet motion was not strongly influenced by the water conductivity. A film with a low sliding angle required a smaller electric field for droplet motion. Decreases in the sliding resistance had a greater effect than decreases in charge. Our experiments demonstrated that the use of a super-hydrophobic surface is advantageous for the control of water droplets by a small electric field.