Surface engineering and on-site charge neutralization for the regulation of contact electrification

Electrostatic charges can accumulate on insulator surfaces under contact electrification, resulting in hazardous conditions. Despite significant progress in eliminating charges of contact electrification, there are still several limitations, including the need to dope other materials, which can alter their original properties, and the difficulties of fabrication. Here, a new post-treatment antistatic strategy is demonstrated to significantly reduce the accumulation of static charge by controlling the spatial distribution of tribopositive and tribonegative regions. On-site interface charge neutralization between tribopositive and tribonegative regions leads to rapid charge decay, without conductive spraying or grounding, which is especially useful in some extreme scenarios, such as the aerospace industry and the electronics industry. By using this surface engineering strategy, finished materials can be easily retrofit into antistatic materials, which will open up promising possibilities for antistatic polymers in a wide range of applications.