Tribovoltaic Effect-Driven Contact-Electro-Catalysis at a MoS2–Water Interface

Abstract Contact-electro-catalysis (CEC) enables mechanically driven interfacial redox reactions through contact-induced charge transfer. Most CEC systems rely on dielectric or insulating materials, whereas the role of semiconductor carrier dynamics remains largely unexplored. Here we establish a tribovoltaic effect-driven CEC mechanism at a MoS2–water solid–liquid interface, where mechanical contact dynamically modulates semiconductor carriers and interfacial electron transfer. Electrical measurements and in situ Raman spectroscopy reveal that contact electrification and tribovoltaic carrier modulation synergistically regulate the interfacial electronic state. This coupled charge-transfer process promotes oxygen reduction to H2O2, which is subsequently activated to generate highly reactive •OH. Notably, under identical experimental conditions, the MoS2-based tribovoltaic-CEC system exhibits approximately 88-fold higher •OH production from H2O2 than conventional FEP- and PVDF-based CEC systems. Radical trapping, theoretical calculations and in situ fluorescence imaging further establish the relationship between interfacial charge transfer, oxygen activation and reactive oxygen species generation. Under ultrasound-assisted conditions, the system achieves approximately 90% degradation of tetracycline and efficient bacterial disinfection in real lake water. Our findings reveal the tribovoltaic effect as a potential mechanistic contributor to semiconductor catalytic activity, offering a new perspective on and a potential strategy for dynamically tuning solid–liquid interfacial catalysis through mechanically regulated carrier transfer.