On the Electron‐Transfer Mechanism in the Contact‐Electrification Effect

• DOI: 10.1002/adma.201706790
• Publication Date: 2018-03-06T06:04:36Z
• Authors: Cheng Xu; Yunlong Zi; Aurelia Chi Wang; Haiyang Zou; Yejing Dai; Xu He; Peihong Wang; Yi‐Cheng Wang; Peizhong Feng; Dawei Li; Zhong Lin Wang
• Keywords: Contact electrification; Thermionic emission; Electrostatics; Electric charge

A long debate on the charge identity and associated mechanisms occurring in contact-electrification (CE) (or triboelectrification) has persisted for many decades, while a conclusive model not yet been reached explaining this phenomenon known more than 2600 years! Here, new method is reported to quantitatively investigate real-time transfer CE via triboelectric nanogenerator as function of temperature, which reveals that electron dominant process between two inorganic solids. study surface density evolution with time at various high temperatures consistent thermionic emission theory pairs composed Ti-SiO2 Ti-Al2 O3 . Moreover, it found potential barrier exists prevents charges generated by from flowing back solid where they are escaping after contacting. This pinpoints main reason why readily retained material electrostatic hours room temperature. Furthermore, an electron-cloud-potential-well proposed based electron-emission-dominatedcharge-transfer mechanism, can be generally applied explain all types conventional materials.