Contact electrification controlled by material deformation-induced electronic structure changes

The effective control of triboelectricity through material development is crucial for the safety of electronics and human well-being. However, owing to the absence of fundamental research on the mechanism of triboelectricity, material development has stagnated in this regard. In this study, we investigated the deformation effect on triboelectric behavior to enable a comprehensive understanding of the contact electrification mechanism. Theoretical results demonstrated that deformation leads to a reduction in the energy level associated with electron-accepting properties, thereby enhancing the tribonegative behavior of tribonegative materials. Conversely, the energy level related to electron-donating properties decreases, resulting in a waning of the tribopositive behavior of tribopositive materials. The experimental results further demonstrated that, consistent with the theoretical results, increased deformation induces an enhancement in the output of tribonegative materials while decreasing the output of tribopositive materials. Our findings provide a fundamental basis for controlling triboelectricity and advancing the development of stagnant triboelectric materials.