Molecular charge states and contact charge exchange in polymers

Abstract

Observation of a new phenomenon, the reversible change in sign of charge transferred to a polymer upon sequential contacts with a series of metals, is reported. This observation is interpreted using a model which attributes the polymer charges to the occurrence of local intrinsic molecular‐ion states. A phenomenological representation both of these charge states and of the metal/polymer contact charge exchange process is developed. The validity of this phenomenology is tested by comparing its predictions with a systematic study of the contact charging of poly(styrene), poly(methyl methacrylate), and copolymers thereof. Using the contact charge exchange spectra of poly(styrene) and poly(methyl methacrylate) to determine the input parameters, the phenomenological model successfully predicts the contact charge exchange spectra of the copolymers.