Research methods of contact electrification: Theoretical simulation and experiment

Highlights: • This paper reviews the research methods of contact electrification. • The role and influence of contact electrification and electrostatic induction in the work process of TENGs are clarified. • The theoretical, simulation and experimental methods are classified and summarized according to different criteria. • In the end, future trend of research methods and applications of contact electrification is discussed. Contact electrification (CE) is an ancient phenomenon in human history, which has been recorded more than 2600 years. Since the invention of triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs), the CE has been widely focused again. However, the process of TENG generally includes two stages: CE and electrostatic induction. To distinguish the influence of these two effects on the performance of TENGs, this paper first reviews the generation process of four modes of TENGs and summarizes their characteristics in the stages of CE and electrostatic induction. Then, the research methods of CE are reviewed in three aspects: theory, simulation, and experiment. Finally, the prospect for future development of the research methods and applications are discussed. In brief, this paper provides an important reference for the current triboelectric researchers to frame out the efficient research methods for the behind CE mechanisms.