The triboelectricity of the human body

Triboelectrification (contact electrification) as a physical phenomenon appeared for the first time in a dialogue by Plato around 400 B.C. The phenomenon described in the dialogue is about amber that people wear attracting dry hair. The description also indicated that triboelectrification was first discovered on the human body. However, the studies that have been carried out on triboelectrification were mostly based on other materials, such as polymers, rather than on the human body. The invention of triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) has recently opened a door for both fundamental and applied research and brought triboelectrification into real applications. The human body's triboelectricity, as a vital part of studies, has also attracted much interest in the past ten years. Research and review articles were published during this period. However, few articles included the biological fundamentals of the triboelectrification of the human body. Moreover, most of the review articles missed two important parts: the electrostatic discharge (ESD) of the human body, which has been widely studied in electronics, and the cosmetics that reduce the triboelectrification of hair. A systematic review including the fundamentals and the applications could help readers understand the human body's triboelectricity. Given this, we proposed this review article on the human body's triboelectricity. The paper will cover a brief history and a brief mechanism summary of triboelectrification; the epidermis structure of the human hair and skin, including how the chemicals on the epidermal layer contribute to the skin's triboelectricity; fundamental studies of the human body's triboelectricity; and applications that utilize the human body's triboelectricity. Perspectives for future studies and conclusions will be given at the end of the review. [Display omitted] •Historical review of the studies relates to the human body’s triboelectricity.•A systematic review of the HBT in areas such as cosmetics, electrostatic discharge, and triboelectric nanogenerators.•Review of the mechanisms of the hair and skin’s triboelectrification.