Solid-Liquid Triboelectrification Control and Antistatic Materials Design Based on Interface Wettability Control

Solid-liquid contact triboelectrification has been a hot and important topic due to its severe electrostatic hazards in the petroleum industry and its positive potential application in energy harvesting. Here, the influence of surface structure, composition, and interfacial wettability on the solid-liquid triboelectrification basing on the friction of polypropylene (PP) films and deionized water is systematically studied. PP films with different nanowire structures are prepared by a hot pressing method with varied anodic aluminum oxide as templates. The PP films are surface functionalized with three different functional groups by a surface self-assembly technology. The results show that compared with the surface structure, the solid-liquid triboelectrification is more sensitive to the surface components. While from the macroscopic view the interfacial wettability plays a dominant role in its electrical output, with the failure of the hydrophobic surface of the PP film, the triboelectrical output continues to deteriorate. Moreover, the increase or decrease of solid-liquid triboelectrification can be achieved by controlling the structure or composition. This study demonstrates the possibility of adjusting the solid-liquid contact electrification in a controllable manner and provides a basis for the utilization or the prevention of solid-liquid friction charges.