Generalized dynamic junction theory to resolve the mechanism of direct current generation in liquid-solid interfaces

Despite the unsettled mechanism of electricity generation from the continuous flow of liquids on a surface, the charge-discharge theory has been widely accepted for alternating current (AC) generation from a moving droplet. It has been recently extended to rationalize direct current (DC) generation across a droplet moving between two different materials. By designing a reconfigurable contact between a metal wire and a water droplet moving on graphene, we show that the charge-discharge theory cannot explain the reversal of current when water-metal interfaces switch from dynamic to static. All experiments can be described after we distinguish a dynamic from a static interface and generalize the photovoltaic-like effect to all dynamic junctions: excited electrons and holes in a moving interface will be separated and swept under the built-in electrical field, leading to a DC response. This generalized theory will lead to an understanding and the design of efficient electricity generation based on interfacial charge transfer.