Triboelectricity-Driven Chemistry at Oppositely Charged Triboelectric Interfaces with Ionic Dyes

Abstract

Solid-liquid contact electrification (SL-CE) has emerged as a distinctive pathway for driving interfacial chemistry, yet the principles governing how triboelectric polarity couples with electrolyte identity to regulate reaction activity remain poorly understood. In this study, triboelectricity-driven chemistry at solid-liquid interfaces was examined using two representative materials positioned at far ends of the triboelectric series, and paired with cationic or anionic ionic dyes. It was found that adsorption and the formation of an electrical double layer might result in suppressed interfacial charge transfer, leading to markedly diminished, and in some cases fully inhibited, generation of reactive oxygen species. These findings establish a mechanistic framework for triboelectric polarity-electrolyte coupling, highlighting the pivotal role of surface physicochemical properties in governing SL-CE and offering general design principles for optimizing triboelectricity-driven chemical reactions.