Triboelectric behaviour of selected zeolitic-imidazolate frameworks: exploring chemical, morphological and topological influences

Abstract

Tribo- and contact electrification remain poorly understood, baffling and discombobulating scientists for millennia. Despite the technology needed to harvest mechanical energy with triboelectric generators being incredibly rudimentary and the fact that a triboelectric output can be obtained from almost any two material combinations, research into triboelectric generator materials typically focuses on achieving the highest possible output; meanwhile, understanding trends and triboelectric behaviours of related but lower performing materials is often overlooked or not studied. Metal–organic frameworks, a class of typically highly porous and crystalline coordination polymers are excellent media to study to fill this knowledge gap. Their chemistry, topology and morphology can be individually varied while keeping other material properties constant. Here we study 5 closely related zeolitic-imidazolate type metal–organic frameworks for their triboelectric performance and behaviour by contact-separating each one with five counter materials. We elucidate the triboelectric electron transfer behaviour of each material, develop a triboelectric series and characterise the surface potential by Kelvin-probe force microscopy. From our results we draw conclusions on how the chemistry, morphology and topology affect the triboelectric output by testing and characterising our series of frameworks to help better understand triboelectric phenomena.