Article abstract
Nature Materials 7, 505 - 509 (2008)
Published online: 23 March 2008 | doi:10.1038/nmat2160
Subject Categories: Polymers | Surface and thin films
Electrostatic electrochemistry at insulators
Chongyang Liu & Allen J. Bard
Abstract
The identity of charges generated by contact electrification on dielectrics has remained unknown for centuries and the precise determination of the charge density is also a long-standing challenge. Here, electrostatic charges on Teflon (polytetrafluoroethylene) produced by rubbing with Lucite (polymethylmethacrylate) were directly identified as electrons rather than ions by electrochemical (redox) experiments with charged Teflon used as a single electrode in solution causing various chemical reactions: pH increases; hydrogen formation; metal deposition; Fe(CN)63- reduction; and chemiluminescence in the system of Teflon(-)/Ru(bpy)32+/S2O82- (analogous to electrogenerated chemiluminescence). Moreover, copper deposition could be amplified by depositing Pd first in a predetermined pattern, followed by electroless deposition to produce Cu lines. This process could be potentially important for microelectronic and other applications because Teflon has desirable properties including a low dielectric constant and good thermal stability. Charge density was determined using Faraday's law and the significance of electron transfer processes on charged polymers and potentially other insulators have been demonstrated.
- Center for Electrochemistry, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
Correspondence to: Allen J. Bard e-mail: ajbard@mail.utexas.edu
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