Electric field–driven droplet formation enables precise size control and improved production efficiency, rendering it highly valuable for applications such as targeted drug delivery and single-cell analysis. Although previous studies have demonstrated its effectiveness in manipulating droplet generation, how electric fields regulate droplet behavior in systems with varying conductivity and dielectric properties remains a challenge. In this work, we establish a numerical framework that couples the lattice Boltzmann method with the finite difference method to systematically investigate droplet formation in T-shaped microchannels under electric fields. The focus is on examining how the electric field strength ${\text{Ca}}_E$, the permittivity ratio $S$, and the conductivity ratio $R$ regulate droplet generation. Analysis of droplet morphology reveals that the increase in ${\text{Ca}}_E$ transforms the droplet formation mode from dripping to squeezinglike, with the droplet shape gradually evolving from dropletlike to squeezed. In addition, when $S$ and $R$ approach the critical value of 1, the variations in droplet length and width exhibit noticeable differences. We classify four distinct droplet generation modes and elucidate the mechanisms of their transitions by analyzing the corresponding charge distributions and electric field forces. These findings offer new insights and a theoretical basis for accurate prediction and precise control of droplets generation mediated by electric fields.

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• Microfluidics
• Drops & bubbles