Effect of contact- and sliding-mode electrification on nanoscale charge transfer for energy harvesting

The process of charge transfer based on triboelectrification （TE） and contact electrification （CE） has been recently utilized as the basis for a new and promising energy harvesting technology, i.e., triboelectric nanogenerators, as well as self- powered sensors and systems. The electrostatic charge transfer between two surfaces can occur in both the TE and the CE modes depending on the involvement of relative sliding friction. Does the sliding behavior in TE induce any fundamental difference in the charge transfer from the CE？ Few studies are available on this comparison because of the challenges in ruling out the effect of the contact area using traditional macro-scale characterization methods. This paper provides the first study on the fundamental differences in CE and TE at the nanoscale based on scanning probe microscopic methods. A quantitative comparison of the two processes at equivalent contact time and force is provided, and the results suggest that the charge transfer from TE is much faster than that from CE, but the saturation value of the transferred charge density is the same. The measured frictional energy dissipation of -11 eV when the tip scans over distance of I A sheds light on a potential mechanism： The friction may facilitate the charge transfer process via electronic excitation. These results provide fundamental guidance for the selection of materials and device structures to enable the TE or the CE in different applications; the CE mode is favorable for frequent moderate contact such as vibration energy harvesting and the TE mode is favorable for instant movement such as harvesting of energy from human walking.

Robust reduction of graphene fluoride using an electrostatically biased scanning probe

We report a novel and easily accessible method to chemically reduce graphene fluoride （GF） sheets with nanoscopic precision using high electrostatic fields generated between an atomic force microscope （AFM） tip and the GF substrate. Reduction of fluorine by the electric field produces graphene nanoribbons （GNR） with a width of 105-1,800 nm with sheet resistivity drastically decreased from 〉1 TΩ.sq.^-1 （GF） down to 46 kΩ.sq.^-1 （GNR）. Fluorine reduction also changes the topography, friction, and work function of the GF. Kelvin probe force microscopy measurements indicate that the work function of GF is 180-280 meV greater than that of graphene. The reduction process was optimized by varying the AFM probe velocity between 1.2 μm.s^-1 and 12 μm.s^-1 and the bias voltage applied to the sample between -8 and -12 V. The electrostatic field required to remove fluorine from carbon is -1.6 V.nm-1. Reduction of the fluorine may be due to the softening of the C-F bond in this intense field or to the accumulation and hydrolysis of adventitious water into a meniscus.

Selective adsorption behaviors of guest molecules COR in the hexamer host networks at liquid/solid interface

Here,the selective adsorption behaviors of guest molecule COR in two hexamer host grids were investigated by means of scanning tunnelling microscope(STM).The assembled structures of small functional organic molecules TTBTA and TATBA were thermodynamically stable.Interestingly,the introduction of the guest molecule COR destroyed the original hexamer structure of TTBTA and combined with it to form a new triangular host-guest system.Different from TTBTA,the introduction of the guest molecule COR did not affect the six-membered ring structure of TATBA.Furthermore,the co-assembly structure of TTBTA/TATBA/COR was established and the guest molecule COR showed preferential adsorption to the TATBA host grid.Density functional theory(DFT)calculations had been performed to disclose the mechanism of the involved assemblies.