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Related Concept Videos

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Ions are atoms or molecules bearing an electrical charge. A cation (a positive ion) forms when a neutral atom loses one or more electrons from its valence shell, and an anion (a negative ion) forms when a neutral atom gains one or more electrons in its valence shell. Compounds composed of ions are called ionic compounds (or salts), and their constituent ions are held together by ionic bonds: electrostatic forces of attraction between oppositely charged cations and anions. 
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All objects we see around us consist of atoms, which combine to form molecules. The lightest element in the universe is hydrogen, and a hydrogen atom consists of a positively charged proton and a negatively charged electron. The magnitude of charge that a proton and an electron carry are the same, and it is the fundamental unit of charge. In SI units, it is 1.602 times 10-19 coulomb.
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When atoms gain or lose electrons to achieve a more stable electron configuration they form ions. Ionic bonds are electrostatic attractions between ions with opposite charges. Ionic compounds are rigid and brittle when solid and may dissociate into their constituent ions in water. Covalent compounds, by contrast, remain intact unless a chemical reaction breaks them.
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Spatial Separation of Molecular Conformers and Clusters
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Static charge is an ionic molecular fragment.

Yan Fang1,2, Chi Kit Ao1, Yan Jiang1

  • 1Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, 4 Engineering Drive 4, Singapore, 117585, Singapore.

Nature Communications
|March 5, 2024
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Static charge is identified as an ionic molecular fragment, specifically an alkyl carbocation, generated through the cleavage of covalent bonds during contact electrification. This mechanism, evidenced by odd-even effects, applies to various insulating materials.

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Area of Science:

  • Surface science
  • Triboelectricity
  • Materials chemistry

Background:

  • The fundamental nature of static charge and contact electrification remains poorly understood.
  • Surface complexity hinders detailed investigations into charge generation mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the molecular-scale mechanisms of contact electrification.
  • To identify the precise molecular species and bond-breaking events responsible for static charge generation.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized highly defined surfaces functionalized with self-assembled monolayers of alkylsilanes.
  • Performed molecular-scale analysis of contact electrification events.
  • Investigated the correlation between charge generation and molecular fragment signatures (odd-even effects).

Main Results:

  • Identified heterolytic cleavage of the silicon-carbon (Si-C) bond as a key step.
  • Determined that alkyl carbocations are the primary charged species generated.
  • Observed a strong correlation between charge generation and molecular fragments, explained by odd-even effects.

Conclusions:

  • Static charge is an ionic molecular fragment, specifically an alkyl carbocation.
  • Contact electrification fundamentally involves covalent bond cleavage and ionic fragment transfer.
  • This mechanism is applicable to covalently bonded insulating materials, explaining the sensitivity of contact electrification.