Direct observation of ion transfer in contact charging between a metal and a polymer

Triboelectric charging between metals and insulators is usually thought to involve electron transfer. Doping some polymers with a small amount of salt can significantly change their charging properties, even reversing the sign to which they charge upon contact with a given metal. We show by means of secondary-ion mass spectrometry that ions of the salt are transferred across the interface in contacts between a doped polymer and a metal. Specifically, we observe a transfer of bromine ions when polystyrene doped with a small amount of the salt cetylpyridinium bromide is contacted to an indium surface.