---
res:
  bibo_abstract:
  - Insulating oxides are among the most abundant solid materials in the universe1,2,3.
    Of the many ways in which they influence natural phenomena, perhaps the most consequential
    is their capacity to transfer electrical charge during contact4,5,6,7,8,9,10—which
    occurs even between samples of the same oxide—yet the symmetry-breaking parameter
    that causes this remains unidentified11,12. Here we show that adventitious carbonaceous
    molecules adsorbed from the environment are the symmetry-breaking factor in same-material
    oxide contact electrification (CE). We use acoustic levitation to measure charge
    exchange between a sphere and a plate composed of identical amorphous silicon
    dioxide (SiO2). Although charging polarity is random for co-prepared samples,
    we control it with baking or plasma treatment. Observing the charge-exchange relaxation
    afterwards, we see dynamics over a timescale of hours and connect this directly
    to the presence of adventitious carbon with time-of-flight mass spectrometry,
    low-energy ion scattering and infrared spectroscopy. Going further, we confirm
    that adventitious carbon can even determine charge exchange among different oxides.
    Our results identify the symmetry-breaking parameter that causes insulating oxides
    to exchange charge in settings ranging from desert sands4 to volcanic plumes5,6,
    while simultaneously highlighting an overlooked factor in CE more broadly.@eng
  bibo_authorlist:
  - foaf_Person:
      foaf_givenName: Galien M
      foaf_name: Grosjean, Galien M
      foaf_surname: Grosjean
      foaf_workInfoHomepage: http://www.librecat.org/personId=0C5FDA4A-9CF6-11E9-8939-FF05E6697425
    orcid: 0000-0001-5154-417X
  - foaf_Person:
      foaf_givenName: Markus
      foaf_name: Ostermann, Markus
      foaf_surname: Ostermann
  - foaf_Person:
      foaf_givenName: Markus
      foaf_name: Sauer, Markus
      foaf_surname: Sauer
  - foaf_Person:
      foaf_givenName: Michael
      foaf_name: Hahn, Michael
      foaf_surname: Hahn
  - foaf_Person:
      foaf_givenName: Christian M.
      foaf_name: Pichler, Christian M.
      foaf_surname: Pichler
  - foaf_Person:
      foaf_givenName: Florian
      foaf_name: Fahrnberger, Florian
      foaf_surname: Fahrnberger
  - foaf_Person:
      foaf_givenName: Felix
      foaf_name: Pertl, Felix
      foaf_surname: Pertl
      foaf_workInfoHomepage: http://www.librecat.org/personId=6313aec0-15b2-11ec-abd3-ed67d16139af
    orcid: 0000-0003-0463-5794
  - foaf_Person:
      foaf_givenName: Daniel
      foaf_name: Balazs, Daniel
      foaf_surname: Balazs
      foaf_workInfoHomepage: http://www.librecat.org/personId=302BADF6-85FC-11EA-9E3B-B9493DDC885E
    orcid: 0000-0001-7597-043X
  - foaf_Person:
      foaf_givenName: Mason M.
      foaf_name: Link, Mason M.
      foaf_surname: Link
  - foaf_Person:
      foaf_givenName: Seong H.
      foaf_name: Kim, Seong H.
      foaf_surname: Kim
  - foaf_Person:
      foaf_givenName: Devin L.
      foaf_name: Schrader, Devin L.
      foaf_surname: Schrader
  - foaf_Person:
      foaf_givenName: Adriana
      foaf_name: Blanco, Adriana
      foaf_surname: Blanco
  - foaf_Person:
      foaf_givenName: Francisco
      foaf_name: Gracia, Francisco
      foaf_surname: Gracia
  - foaf_Person:
      foaf_givenName: Nicolás
      foaf_name: Mujica, Nicolás
      foaf_surname: Mujica
  - foaf_Person:
      foaf_givenName: Scott R
      foaf_name: Waitukaitis, Scott R
      foaf_surname: Waitukaitis
      foaf_workInfoHomepage: http://www.librecat.org/personId=3A1FFC16-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
    orcid: 0000-0002-2299-3176
  bibo_doi: 10.1038/s41586-025-10088-w
  bibo_issue: '8106'
  bibo_volume: 651
  dct_date: 2026^xs_gYear
  dct_isPartOf:
  - http://id.crossref.org/issn/0028-0836
  - http://id.crossref.org/issn/1476-4687
  dct_language: eng
  dct_publisher: Springer Nature@
  dct_title: Adventitious carbon breaks symmetry in oxide contact electrification@
  fabio_hasPubmedId: '41851325'
...