Triboelectrics power up

Abstract

The trick of rubbing a balloon on your head to make your hair stand up has generated giggles for ages. But the electrical phenomenon behind the trick can also generate energy. Within the past decade, scientists have harnessed that energy to develop devices that could produce enough power for sensors, electronic devices, and—if deployed on a large scale—maybe even homes. The phenomenon, called the triboelectric effect, is the buildup of charge on dissimilar surfaces after they touch each other. Separating the surfaces creates a high voltage that can trigger a flow of electrons—hence those static shocks when you touch a doorknob while wearing a wool sweater. Charge builds up from skin rubbing against the wool and is released when metal is touched. Although scientists have known about triboelectricity for centuries, only recently have researchers been able to create materials and design devices to capture the current to produce useful amounts