Is triboelectricity confusing, confused or complex?

Abstract In this report, we look at the fundamental physics of triboelectricity, charge transfer due to contact and sliding. While much of the report focuses upon recent advances such as the incorporation of flexoelectric contributions, we also include older work, some from centuries ago, which can only now be fully understood. Basic concepts and theories ranging from elements of tribology and contact mechanics through semiconductor built-in potentials, electromechanical terms, mechanochemistry and trap states are briefly described, linking to established surface science and interface physics. We then overview the main models that have been proposed, showing that they all fall within conventional electrostatics combined with other established science. We conclude with some suggestions for the future. Based upon this overview, our conclusion is that triboelectricity is a slightly complex combination of classic tribology and standard electrostatic phenomena that can be understood using the generalized Ampère’s law connecting the electric displacement field with both Coulomb and polarization contributions, and the free carrier density, that is ∇ ⋅ D = ρ f . Triboelectricity may be confusing, it is not really confused if care is taken, but it is complex.