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Chemical Reactions at Electrified Interfaces
Shaoxin Li1,2,3, Zhong Lin Wang1, Di Wei1,4
1Beijing Institute of Nanoenergy and Nanosystems,Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101400, P. R. China.
Accounts of Chemical Research
|January 1, 2026
Summary
Contact electrification (CE) drives chemical reactions without external energy. This study highlights triboelectric fields from solid-liquid CE as a tunable force for sustainable, reagent-free chemistry.
Area of Science:
- Interfacial chemistry
- Sustainable chemistry
- Triboelectricity
Background:
- Contact electrification (CE) is a phenomenon of charge transfer between contacting materials.
- CE can initiate chemical reactions without thermal or photonic input.
- Solid-liquid CE is a promising platform for sustainable chemistry, enabling in situ radical generation and redox transformations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the fundamental driving forces behind CE-induced chemistry.
- To investigate the role of interfacial electron and ion transfer in CE.
- To highlight the triboelectric field as a key factor in modulating interfacial reactivity.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on contact electrification and interfacial chemistry.
- Analysis of charge transfer mechanisms at solid-liquid interfaces.
- Theoretical examination of triboelectric fields and their influence on reaction coordinates.
Main Results:
- CE can sustain a wide range of chemical reactions, particularly at interfaces.
- Reactions at gas-liquid and immiscible liquid-liquid interfaces are significantly faster than in bulk.
- The fundamental driving forces of CE-induced chemistry are still under investigation.
Conclusions:
- Solid-liquid CE offers a versatile platform for sustainable chemistry.
- Triboelectric fields are intrinsic, tunable driving forces in CE.
- CE provides a distinct pathway for reagent-free, sustainable chemical transformations.
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