Induced flow inside a droplet by static electrical charge

Abstract: Introducing controlled fluid motion inside a droplet turns out to be of outstanding scientific importance. In this work, we suggest a new method of flow manipulation inside a sessile droplet by simply deploying a static charge produced by triboelectric effect. This is physically actuated by charge transfer between the two lateral electrodes within which the droplet is entrained, triggering a strong ionized air current. The flow inside the droplet is generated due to the shear exerted at the liquid-air interface by the charged induced ionized air flow around the droplet, a paradigm that has hitherto remained unexplored. The strength of the fluid flow can be controlled by adjusting the supplied charge. Such unique controllability without sacrificing the physical simplicity opens up new possibilities of flow manipulation in a multitude of applications in droplet based microfluidics.