Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry 391: 1-10 (1995)

Electric field effects on the structure and dynamics at a liquid/liquid interface

Karl J. Schweighofer and Ilan Benjamin

Department of Chemistry, University of California, Santa Cruz, California 95064

The structure and dynamics of the water/1,2-dichloroethane interface under the influence of a static electric field are studied using molecular dynamics computer simulation. By calculating global structural features such as density profiles, interface width, total energies and surface tension, we show that the electric field tends to broaden the interface and decrease the surface tension by increasing the amplitude of finger-like distortions, without strongly affecting the local microscopic structure or dynamics.