A Contact‐Sliding‐Triboelectrification‐Driven Dynamic Optical Transmittance Modulator for Self‐Powered Information Covering and Selective Visualization

Triboelectrification‐enabled self‐powered flexible electronic/optical systems have aroused a new surge of interest in recent years. All‐in‐one integration of such a system, which could significantly improve its adaptability, operability, and portability, still remains a challenge due to the absence of suitable architectures and integration schemes. Herein, a previously reported self‐powered optical switch (OS) is thoroughly remolded and upgraded to a fully integrated contact‐sliding‐triboelectrification‐driven dynamic optical transmittance modulator (OTM). The OTM is constructed with a multilayered structure, comprising a transparent triboelectrification top layer, a SiO2‐spaced polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) intermediate layer, and a flexible transparent conductive substrate. The working mechanism is that an alternating electric field can be induced once contact‐sliding occurs upon the OTM, rendering the PDLC layer immediately switching its initial translucent state to an instantaneous transparent state. As such, a decent dimming range with the relative transmitted light intensity from 0.17 to 0.72 can be achieved at low mechanical thresholds of contact pressure (≈20 kPa) and sliding velocity (≈0.3 m s−1). Moreover, for practical applications, demonstrations of information covering and selective visualization are successfully implemented without any extra optical elements nor external power supplies, explicitly showing great potential for the OTM in various self‐powered optical interactive applications. A contact‐sliding‐driven optical transmittance modulator (OTM) is developed on the basis of triboelectrification‐triggered liquid crystal alignment. In response to a gentle contact‐sliding, its initial translucent state can be immediately turned to an instantaneous transparent state along the sliding trajectory. In this manner, demonstrations of self‐powered information covering and selective visualization are successfully conducted, showing great potential for various optical interactive applications.