Electric generators can be categorized into four primary groups according to electrification processes: electromagnetic, electrostatic, piezoelectric and triboelectric generators. Electromagnetic generators produce conduction current based on Faraday's law. In contrast, electrostatic, piezoelectric and triboelectric generators create only displacement current internally. In this article, we report on a type of novel electric generators, which can be simply constructed using a pair of semiconducting or/and metallic electrodes with distinct chemical potentials. Electrons can diffuse from the higher into the lower chemical potential electrode when the electrodes are brought in contact and the diffused electrons are then discharged to the external circuit once the two electrodes are separated by mechanical power, accomplishing mechanical-electrical power conversion. In our generators, both displacement current and conduction current are generated.

根据电气化过程，发电机可分为四个主要类别：电磁，静电，压电和摩擦发电机。电磁发电机根据法拉第定律产生传导电流。相反，静电，压电和摩擦发电机在内部仅产生位移电流。在本文中，我们报告了一种新型发电机，可以使用一对具有不同化学势的半导体或/和金属电极简单地构造它们。当电极接触时，电子可以从较高的化学势电极扩散到较低的化学势电极，一旦两个电极被机械力分开，扩散的电子就会释放到外部电路，完成机电功率转换。在我们的发电机中，会同时产生位移电流和传导电流。