We measured the electrowetting behavior of aqueous salt solutions. By varying the conductivity and the frequency of the applied AC voltage we determined the range of the validity perfect conductor assumption of the standard electrowetting theory for the case of AC voltage. We show that the contact angle reduction is dramatically reduced at high frequency and low salt concentration due to Ohmic losses with the liquid. A simple RC-equivalent circuit model explains the observations. It is demonstrated that finite conductivity effects are more pronounced for sessile droplets than for droplets confined between to parallel plates.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.