Synergistic Regulation of Electric Field and Wettability on Water Molecule Condensation: A Molecular Dynamics Study

This study employs molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the condensation behavior of water molecules on hydrophilic/hydrophobic substrates under varying electric field strengths. It reveals the synergistic regulation effect between electric field strength and surface wettability from the perspectives of condensation rate and morphological evolution. The results indicate that the condensation rate on hydrophilic surfaces first increases and then decreases with increasing electric field strength; the condensation efficiency reaches its maximum at an electric field strength of 1.6 V/nm. Conversely, the condensation efficiency on hydrophobic surfaces shows a monotonically decreasing trend with increasing electric field strength; the presence of an electric field does not facilitate condensation on hydrophobic surfaces. The orientation of water molecule dipole moments is synergistically regulated by external electric fields, intermolecular interactions, and substrate–water interactions. The weaker the wettability, the more readily the electric field assumes a dominant role. Furthermore, the electric field induces parallel alignment of dipole moments along its direction, enhancing intermolecular attractions along the electric field axis (Z-axis). This also drives the reconfiguration of hydrogen-bond networks, ultimately leading to the aggregation of water molecules into clusters aligned with the electric field, thereby transforming the condensation morphology.