Electrostatics and Electrochemistry: Mechanism and Scope of Charge-Transfer Reactions on the Surface of Tribocharged Insulators

Abstract

The phenomenon of surface electrification upon contact is a long-standing scientific puzzle, with for instance written accounts of charged samples of amber attracting feathers dating back to the 600 B.C. Electrostatic hazards associated with electrical insulators subject to mechanical friction are well documented, and the design of commercial products, such as copiers and laser printers, is based on the static charging of electrical insulators. Nonetheless, the physical-chemical origin of this phenomenon remains debated. This Perspective outlines recent advances in our understanding of the mechanism behind contact electrification, as well as the emerging research area of electrochemistry on insulators. Research is beginning to demonstrate how to exploit static charges present on insulating surfaces, with the goal of driving redox reactivity. These studies have helped to clarify the triboelectrification mechanism and have defined new platforms for electrochemiluminescence, metal nucleation, and mask-free lithography. This Perspective will help researchers working within electrochemistry, physics, green energy, sensing, and materials to gain an understanding of the implications of contact electrification to their respective fields. Special attention is given to the chemical, electronic, and mechanical factors influencing triboelectrochemical reactions, concluding with the perceived challenges facing further development of this field.

All-Weather Droplet-Based Triboelectric Nanogenerator for Wave Energy Harvesting

“…The FEP film shows best output performance ( Q tr = 30.7 nC, I sc = 52.0 nA, and V oc = 77.0 V), and the surface charge density (based on the area of tater droplet) is calculated to be 153.5 μC m –2 (Note S3), but the Kapton film presents the worst one ( Q tr = 1.0 nC, I sc = 2.4 nA, and V oc = 2.1 V), and the charge density is only 5.1 μC m –2 . Figure S9 in the Supporting Information presents a comparison of the surface charge densities reported in recent years, it can be seen that the charge density of this work has the highest result. ,,, The results are mainly related to electron affinity, ionization energy, and surface hydrophobicity of different triboelectric materials (see Note S4 in the Supporting Information). ,,, The wetting property of different triboelectric films is investigated by water contact angle measurement, as shown in Figure S10 in the Supporting Information. The FEP film has the highest output performance, because of its greater ability to acquire electrons and better surface hydrophobicity.…”

“…38,43,49,50 The results are mainly related to electron affinity, ionization energy, and surface hydrophobicity of different triboelectric materials (see Note S4 in the Supporting Information). 37,46,51,52 The wetting property of different triboelectric films is investigated by water contact angle measurement, as shown in Figure S10 in the Supporting Information. The FEP film has the highest output performance, because of its greater ability to acquire electrons and better surface hydrophobicity.…”

“…Although the surface charge of water is almost unanimously accepted to have a negative sign, positive triboelectric charges will be generated on the droplet after direct contact with the surface of FEP. , It can also be verified by a comparative experiment, as shown in Figure S5 in the Supporting Information (see Note S2 in the Supporting Information for discussion). The specific transfer mechanism in the contact process between droplets and films, whether electron transfer, ion transfer, or other transfer mechanism, is still unclear and inconclusive. But anyway, it is undisputed that the charge transfer process on the back electrode (copper electrode) of the negatively charged FEP film after contacting with droplets.…”

Atmospheric Discharge Caused by Methane Emission in Permafrost Degradation Area Caused Wildfire

“…In addition, studies have shown that solids, liquids and even gases will be charged due to contact separation 48,49 . This is because gas is also composed of molecules and atoms.…”

Electrostatic Charges Regulate Chemiluminescence by Electron Transfer at the Liquid–Solid Interface

“…Fortunately, over the last 5–10 years, a growing number of research groups have noticed one type of electrostatic field, which can be simply generated by contact electrification without any applied voltage or additives. − Static charges develop on the surface of electrically insulating materials that are first brought in contact with and then macroscopically separated from another solid. , Recent studies show that this phenomenon is not limited to the solid/solid interface but also occurred at the liquid/solid or liquid/liquid interface. − Based on the contact charging at the liquid/solid interface, our group developed a self-powered droplet triboelectric nanogenerator with spatially arranged electrodes as a probe for measuring the charge transfer (CT) between liquid and solid interfaces and showed that the electron transfer is the dominant CT species in the case of liquid/solid contact . This inevitably raises a challenge about the reproducibility of the chemical reaction in the liquid solution as chemical reactivity is governed by the movement and transfer of electrons, and electron transfer is most likely to occur at the interface between the reaction solution and the surrounding environment or the container, , such as air, beaker and pipette, when preparing the reaction solution.…”