The laboratory of Materials Morphology and Structure Investigations have reached new heights by taking part in the investigations that are published in the article of the Royal Society of Chemistry journal Energy & Environmental Science with an impressive impact factor 33.25!
Scientific paper A. Šutka, K. Mālnieks, L. Lapčinskis, P. Kaufelde, A. Linarts, A. Bērziņa, Roberts Zabels, V. Jurķāns, I. Gorņevs, J. Blūms and M. Knite, The role of intermolecular forces in contact electrification on polymer surfaces and triboelectric nanogenerators, Energy & Environmental Science (8) 2019 (DOI: 10.1039/c9ee01078e) is prepared by scientists of Riga Technical University in cooperation with the ISSP UL scientist Roberts Zabels from laboratory of Materials Morphology and Structure Research.
This paper proves that contact electrification could be controlled by intramolecular forces in the polymer bulk and adhesive forces at the contact interface, and the chemical contact between different polymers is not needed for contact electrification. The results also confirm the breaking of the covalent bond as a mechanism of the contact electrification of polymer insulators.
