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Lubricants
Special Issues
Fundamentals and Applications of Triboelectrification
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Fundamentals and Applications of Triboelectrification

A special issue of Lubricants (ISSN 2075-4442).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2026 | Viewed by 2165

Editors

Dr. Bo Zhao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Ocean Engineering and Technology, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai 519000, China
Interests: triboelectric energy harvesting; modeling and optimization of tribo-systems; marine self-powered in situ detection technology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Yong Ma

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Ocean Engineering and Technology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai 519000, China
Interests: offshore renewable energy; hydrodynamics; computational fluid dynamics; mooring analysis; offshore platform
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Triboelectrification refers to the charge transfer between materials during contact or relative motion, and has long been recognized as a fundamental interfacial phenomenon. However, with the emergence of triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs), significant progress has been made in both the scientific understanding and technological application of this phenomenon. These devices convert mechanical energy generated from contact, friction, or interfacial motion—such as vibrations, rotation, human activity, or environmental forces—into electricity through the coupling of triboelectrification and electrostatic induction.

The scientific significance of this field extends beyond energy harvesting. It introduces the concept of "motion-induced displacement current," expands classical electrodynamics, and deepens our understanding of contact electrification and mechano-electrical energy conversion at the micro- and nanoscales. Furthermore, TENGs provide a versatile platform for investigating interfacial charge transfer, frictional phenomena, and the coupling between mechanical deformation and electronic processes, thereby fostering emerging research directions such as tribotronics and contact-electro-catalysis.

Since triboelectric phenomena originate at contacting surfaces, tribological properties—including surface chemistry, roughness, running-in behavior, wear, and lubrication—exert a decisive influence on the performance, stability, and longevity of TENGs. Conversely, TENG technology offers innovative sensing capabilities and self-powered solutions for monitoring tribological systems, establishing a unique feedback loop between tribology and energy harvesting research.

This Special Issue aims to consolidate the latest advances in triboelectrification and TENGs, covering fundamental mechanisms, material design, device engineering, and diverse applications. By uniting perspectives from the fields of materials science, tribology, electronics, and energy research, this Issue presents a comprehensive overview of current developments in this rapidly evolving field and identifies key directions for future research.

Dr. Bo Zhao
Dr. Yong Ma
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Lubricants is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • triboelectrification
  • contact-electrification
  • charge transfer
  • triboelectric nanogenerators
  • tribotronics
  • energy harvesting

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 25233 KB  
Article
First-Principles Study on the Promoting Effect of Unsaturated Bonds in PTFE on Triboelectrification During Contact with Al
by Taili Tian, Bo Zhao, Chen Wang, Xiaotian Zhang, Yuyan Fan and Peng Xiao
Lubricants 2026, 14(8), 291; https://doi.org/10.3390/lubricants14080291 - 29 Jul 2026
Abstract
Contact electrification (CE), also referred to as triboelectrification, describes electron transfer occurring at the interface of dissimilar materials. Its microscopic mechanism remains unclarified due to the complex coupling of multiple physical fields, yet the rapid development of triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) has rendered CE [...] Read more.
Contact electrification (CE), also referred to as triboelectrification, describes electron transfer occurring at the interface of dissimilar materials. Its microscopic mechanism remains unclarified due to the complex coupling of multiple physical fields, yet the rapid development of triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) has rendered CE a prominent research hotspot in tribology on account of its promising application prospects. Metal/polymer combinations have been widely employed for CE research due to their significant differences in electron gain and loss. Nevertheless, most existing studies focus solely on saturated polymers, and systematic comparative analyses between saturated and unsaturated molecular structures are rarely reported. Accordingly, the intrinsic microscopic origin of enhanced interfacial electrification performance induced by unsaturated groups has not been fully understood. In this work, first-principles calculations based on density functional theory (DFT) are implemented to establish interfacial models consisting of an Al substrate and three types of PTFE single chains: fully saturated-PTFE, PTFE with unsaturated bonds at the chain terminus, and PTFE with unsaturated bonds in the middle of the chain. The inherent mechanism governing the modulation of CE behaviors by unsaturated structures are comprehensively revealed from multiple perspectives, including charge transfer, electrostatic potential, and frontier orbital distribution. Computational results demonstrate that unsaturated groups drastically elevate local electrostatic potential and strengthen the electron-trapping capability of molecular chains, thereby substantially boosting CE performance. Moreover, this modulation effect exhibits remarkable position dependence, where unsaturated structures located in the middle of molecular chains deliver better performance improvement than terminal unsaturated moieties. The electron-donating and electron-accepting properties of materials are dominated by the energy level characteristics of the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO), respectively. This study elucidates the microscopic mechanism of CE at unsaturated polymer/metal interfaces at the molecular scale, and provides theoretical support for optimizing the output performance of TENGs through surface modification strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fundamentals and Applications of Triboelectrification)
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Review

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48 pages, 10325 KB  
Review
Toward Reliable Triboelectric Nanogenerators: Roles of Lubricants
by P. R. Deshmukh and Dae-Hyun Cho
Lubricants 2026, 14(2), 81; https://doi.org/10.3390/lubricants14020081 - 10 Feb 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1619
Abstract
Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) are a newly adopted technology designed to harvest freely available mechanical energy from the environment and convert it into electricity that can help to meet future demands for clean and sustainable energy. TENGs represent a promising next-generation renewable energy technology, [...] Read more.
Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) are a newly adopted technology designed to harvest freely available mechanical energy from the environment and convert it into electricity that can help to meet future demands for clean and sustainable energy. TENGs represent a promising next-generation renewable energy technology, an alternative to traditional non-renewable fossil fuel sources, with a wide range of applications, including smart sensors, wearable devices, internet of things (IoT), and portable electronics. Through contact/triboelectrification and electrostatic induction, TENGs convert mechanical energy into electrical energy. Broadly, TENGs are classified into contact–separation mode and sliding mode. In contact–separation mode, the electric output is achieved through the contact and separation of triboelectric layers, while in the sliding mode, it is generated by the sliding of one triboelectric layer over another. Sliding-mode TENGs have demonstrated better electrical output compared to the contact–separation mode; however, they suffer low durability and cannot operate for long periods due to severe wear. In addition, their electrical output performance is reduced owing to air breakdown. Lubricants have demonstrated their potential in TENGs by overcoming these limitations and improving both tribological and triboelectric performance. This review provides a discussion on the fundamental modes of TENGs, followed by a comprehensive summary of the tribological and triboelectrical performance of existing TENGs under liquid lubrication, along with a comparison of their performance under dry conditions. The effects of load, frequency, mass fraction, and volume of the liquid lubricant on both tribology and electrical output are examined. Durability is identified as a key factor for the long-term practical application of TENGs; hence, this paper also focuses on it. Furthermore, strategies for improving TENG performance and the working mechanisms under liquid lubrication are discussed. Finally, the paper summarizes demonstrations of TENG applications based on various TENG designs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fundamentals and Applications of Triboelectrification)
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