Fig 1.
The schematic of the simulated system, containing three charged water nanodroplets with dissolved ions (KCl).
The constant DC electric field along the negative y direction is applied to induce the droplet coalescence. Here, the initial gap thickness between separating droplets has the same value of l1 = l2 = 3 nm.
Fig 2.
Experimental results of complete coalescence at (a1) E = 193 V mm-1 and non-coalescence at (b1) E = 233 V mm-1; MD results of complete coalescence at (a2) E = 0.3 V nm-1 and non-coalescence at (b2) E = 0.65 V nm-1.
Fig 3.
Snapshots of dynamic coalescence process of three charged nanodroplets under a constant DC electric field of E = 0.3 V nm-1.
Fig 4.
Variation of (a) dimensionless length before droplets contact and (b) centroid coordinate during coalescence process as a function of time under E = 0.3 V nm-1.
Fig 5.
(a) The asymmetrical coalescence dynamics of three charged droplets under E = 0.3 V nm-1. Here, the initial gap thicknesses possess different values of l1 = 2 nm< l2 = 4 nm. Variation of centroid coordinate during coalescence for (b) l1 = 2 nm< l2 = 4 nm, and (c) l1 = 4 nm> l2 = 2 nm.
Fig 6.
(a) Variation of the dimensionless deformation ratio versus the increasing electric field strength ranging from 1.0 to 3.75 V nm-1; (b) the deformation of the coalescing droplet under E = 1.5, 2.75, and 3.75 V nm-1; (c) forming the chain configuration under E = 4.0 V nm-1.
Fig 7.
(a) Dynamic coalescence process under E = 0.4 V nm-1 within an enlarging simulation domain, and (b) breakup of the coalescing droplet under E = 0.51 V nm-1, leading to the non-coalescence dynamics.
Fig 8.
Radial distribution functions gion-O(r) together with their integrals Nion-O(r) corresponding to generation of secondary droplets at t = 187 ps.
Fig 9.
Applying pulsed DC electric field of (a) 0.4 V nm-1 to small simulated domain, and (b) 0.7 V nm-1 to large simulated domain to induce the droplets coalescence.