Triboiontronics for efficient energy and information flow

Summary

Information flow in the central nervous system consumes little energy, and nerve impulses are carried through by the conduction of ions within the electrical double layer (EDL). The EDL structure has been investigated for over a century, but how to fine-tune it remains a challenge. Here, dynamic regulations of the EDL at the dielectric-liquid interface were achieved by contact electrification (CE), forming triboiontronics. Firstly, the ionic charge density in the nanoconfined diffuse layer was regulated by CE-induced charge, enabling a direct-current triboiontronic nanogenerator (DC-TING) with an ultra-high peak power density of 126.40 W/m². Furthermore, the charge distribution in the sub-nanoconfined Stern layer was adjusted by CE-induced electric fields, achieving bidirectional ionic-electronic signal conversion for a bionic neurologic circuit. Through dynamic EDL regulation in triboiontronics, the polarity, quantity, and type of charge were fine-tuned, which provided a versatile paradigm for various prospective applications in efficient energy harvesting and neuromorphic computing.