Effect of Photo-Excitation on Contact Electrification at Liquid–Solid Interface

Liquid–solid triboelectric nanogenerator (L–S TENG) is one of the major techniques to collect energy from tiny liquids, while the saturated charge density at the L–S interface is the key element to decide its performance. Here, we found that the saturated charge density of L–S contact electrification (CE) can be further increased under the illumination of an ultraviolet (UV) light. The fluorine-containing polymers and SiO2 are chosen as the electrification materials and with and without UV illumination on the L–S TENG. A series of experiments have been done to rule out the possible influences of anion generation, chemical change of solid surface, ionization of water, and so on. Therefore, we proposed that electrons belonging to water molecules can be excited to high energy states under UV illumination, which then transfer to solid surface and captured by the solid surface. Finally, a photoexcited electron transfer model is proposed to explain the enhancement of CE under the UV illumination. This work not only helps to further understand CE at L–S interface, but also offers an approach to further enhance the performance of L–S TENG, which can promote the TENG applications in the field of microfluidic systems, liquid energy harvesting, and droplet sensory.