Bipolar surface charging by evaporating water droplets

2025/08/12 by Nitish Singh, Singh, Nitish, Aaron D. Ratschow +5 · 1 citation
Engineering · Materials Science · #Advanced Sensor and Energy Harvesting Materials #FOS: Physical sciences #Nanomaterials and Printing Technologies #Soft Condensed Matter (cond-mat.soft) #Surface Modification and Superhydrophobicity

paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2508.08884

openalex publication_date 2025/08/12 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28

Abstract

Surface charging is a ubiquitous phenomenon with important consequences. On one hand, surface charging underpins emerging technologies such as triboelectric nanogenerators; on the other, uncontrolled charging can damage delicate nanostructures and devices. Despite its significance, surface charging by evaporating water droplets remains poorly understood. Here, using Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy, we spatially resolve the surface-charge patterns from evaporating droplets and propose a physical model that quantitatively explains the origin of bipolar charging.

Citations

• Surfactants Screen Slide Electrification
• How charges separate when surfaces are dewetted
• Elucidating contact electrification mechanism of water
• A droplet-based electricity generator with high instantaneous power density

Cited by

• Spontaneous Coulomb fissions of drops on lubricated surfaces

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