How to avoid droplet ejection during impact under an electric field

Droplet impact in electric fields is widely encountered in many industrial applications. During the droplet impact, as it is stretched, a sharp tip appears at the droplet top, which distorts the local electric field and induces a strong electrostatic force that eventually causes the droplet to eject or breakup. Therefore, to avoid the excitation of strong electrostatic forces, we apply some special superhydrophobic surfaces, enabling the droplets to skip the stretching stage and directly rebound from the surface after spreading. Such special droplet rebound behaviors have been proven to effectively prevent the droplets from ejection or breakup in a strong electric field. Our research is expected to enable the non-loss transportation of droplets and the optimal design of outdoor electrical devices.